political parties

Mamphela Ramphele has slammed the African National Congress (ANC) and its youth league leaders for their arrogance, greed and inability to live their lives with integrity.

Discussing ‘Integrity in Public Life’ at this year’s annual Helen Suzman memorial lecture, Ramphele, praised Suzman for her considerable role in ending apartheid, and how she was able to do so with integrity.

President Jacob Zuma says the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the only continental institution that broadly represents the people of Africa, is generally voiceless.

Speaking during the opening session of PAP in Johannesburg, Zuma pointed out that, "It [PAP] is the institution that constitutes a single collective voice of the ordinary people of our continent."

Several activists and Movement Democratic Change (MDC) officials in South Africa have slammed a NGO that allegedly manipulated the plight of Zimbabwean refugees to raise funds for a repatriation programme.

MDC chairperson in SA, Austin Moyo, points out that hundreds of Zimbabwean refugees at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg were duped into going back home, on the back of a promise of R7 000, computers, printers and scanners, to start Internet café's back home.

The Rwandan Lower Chambers of Parliament has approved an amendment to the law that regulates the operations of local NGOs.

The law prohibits NGOs from fundraising for any political party. However, individual members of the NGOs have a right to have political affiliations.

A Zimbabwean official says several top officials and cronies of President Robert Mugabe being sued for torture have been renounced by the state and will not receive legal assistance.

Deputy attorney-general, Prince Machaya, points out that the state will not represent officials being sued by prominent human rights activist, Jestina Mukoko and eight others.

The activists are seeking US$500 million for wrongful arrest, torture and abduction after their terror charges were dropped.

The National Planning Commission will not be “the gatekeeper of policy”, nor will it take over setting budgets. This is according to Minister Trevor Manuel.

Manuel, who is reported to be at the centre of a bitter fight between Cabinet members and trade unions over control of the country’s economy, says that the ministry’s task is to create a coherent vision on the outcomes of policies.

Manuel says that a single budgeting process is needed and this is not something the ministry wishes to become involved with.

Some COPE youth structures are rebelling against the decision by the party's national leadership to suspend the party's controversial youth leader, Anele Mda.

Several provinces, including Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape, have written to COPE's general secretary, Charlotte Lobe, questioning the decision by the party's central working committee to suspend Mda from the leadership structures of the organisation.

African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president, Julius Malema, says he was not giving a ‘general lecture’ on rape victims when he made a controversial comment about a rape accuser.

Speaking during his appearance at the Equality Court in Johannesburg, Malema pointed out that, “It was not a general lecture on rape victims. It was a specific response to a specific case.”