Democratisation and Human Rights

President Dmitry Medvedev believes that the results of the first conference of the Council of Europe (CE) in Moscow on social stability will help prepare efficient decisions of the G-20 summit in London.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov read out on Thursday Medvedev’s greetings to participants and guests of the conference at its opening. The president’s message says as follows: “I greet participants and guests of the first Conference of Ministers of the Council of Europe members states, responsible for social cohesion.

Russia traditionally pays great attention to education, public health, pension maintenance and other social programmes.

Source: ITAR-TASS World Service

Sierra Leone RUF rebels sentenced

An international tribunal has jailed three former Sierra Leone rebel leaders for a total of nearly 120 years. All three were senior leaders in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and were convicted of overseeing atrocities during Sierra Leone's civil war.

Issa Sesay was sentenced to 52 years, Morris Kallon to 40 years and Augustine Gbao to 25 years. They were found guilty in February of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the 1991-2001 conflict. "The chamber concluded that the inherent gravity of the criminal acts for which Sesay, Kallon and Gbao have been convicted is exceptionally high," the judges said. Tactics favoured by the rebels included amputating hands and arms or carving the initials RUF into the bodies of their victims. It is the last case to be held in the capital, Freetown, at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone.

The RUF trial began in mid-2004 and the court heard about the rebel commanders' role in the conflict. "The crimes were committed on a massive scale... Sierra Leoneans were raped, enslaved, hacked to death and brutalised," the AFP news agency quotes presiding judge Pierre Boutet as saying. "The impact of the crimes on the Sierra Leonean society has been enormous," he added. The RUF was notorious for using the so-called Small Boys Units - child soldiers forcibly recruited and issued with AK-47 assault rifles - who had a reputation for particular cruelty among the civilian population. "Children were deprived of normal education and some of them had the letters of the RUF branded on them as if they were the organisation's property," Mr Boutet said. By the time the conflict ended, tens of thousands of people had been killed while tens of thousands were left mutilated, their arms, legs, noses or ears cut off.

Thirteen people were originally indicted by the tribunal, but RUF rebel leader Foday Sankoh and his deputy commander Sam Bockarie died before coming to trial. When the RUF leaders were found guilty in February, the judges concluded they "significantly contributed" to a joint criminal enterprise with former Liberian President Charles Taylor to control the diamond fields of Sierra Leone to finance their warfare. Mr Taylor faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to his role in the conflict. His trial has been moved to The Hague for security reasons.

Earlier this week, his lawyers called for the dismissal of the charges saying the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence of his link with the abuses.

Source: BBC

Coal mine threat to world heritage site

Prized world heritage site Mapungubwe, where the famous gold rhino statuette was unearthed, could soon have the scar of an open-cast coal mine on its doorstep. The Vele Colliery project has sparked a row between the department of minerals and energy, which is driving it with single-minded determination, and the department of environmental affairs.

Mapungubwe is a protected site that forms part of the broader Limpopo Shashe transfrontier conservation area. Management of the park is also worried about the mine. Answering a DA question on ­Friday, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk told Parliament that, with the information available to him, he could not support the awarding of mining rights. The project would have "detrimental environmental considerations" and "could further impact negatively on the 'sense of place' and tourism potential" of Mapungubwe, the Mapungubwe National Park and Greater Limpopo Shashe conservation area.

Vele Colliery is an initiative of Australian-owned Coal of Africa, which has signed a letter of intent to supply up to five million tons of coal annually from Vele and its sister project Makhado to steel giant Arcelor Mittal. The company wants to start operations at the end of this year, but the minerals department must first give the go-ahead, including an environmental green light. So far only a scoping report, which outlines the potential impact of the mine to be investigated, has been released. A full environmental impact assessment has to be conducted still.

Planned legislation will shift the responsibility for the environmental assessment of mining projects from minerals and energy to the environmental affairs department. The law, however, is still in its infancy. Van Schalkwyk told Parliament that he had communicated his concerns about the mine to the Minerals and Energy Department. Apart from aesthetic and pollution considerations, he was worried about its possible impact on floodplains and wetlands. He said his department "became aware of the proposed Vele Colliery at a very late stage in the process, when the Peace Parks Foundation brought it to our attention".

DA environment spokesperson Gareth Morgan said the expected opening of the mine at the end of the year implied that the scoping report "is merely a cynical attempt to ensure procedural compliance". Morgan called on Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica to reject applications by companies wanting to mine in, or adjacent to, sensitive environmental areas.

Source: Mail & Guardian

Dandala: It is my duty to help our nation

The Congress of the People (Cope) formally introduced its presidential candidate, Dr Mvume Dandala, to the media at Emperors Palace in Ekurhuleni on Monday.

Source: Mail & Guardian

Julius Malema is not a true leader

"Julius Malema is no true leader. He is only a dangerous rabble rouser and spreader of hate. This is the easiest type of politics. To bad-mouth opponents and call them cockroaches and snakes, anyone can do. In the short term one is popular but in the longer run your followers realize that you are not making any real contribution to solutions", Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus leader said in reaction to the attacks of Malema on opposition parties.

The most difficult is to, with wisdom, give leadership to your followers. It may make you unpopular in the short term, but in the longer term you are proven to be correct and you rise as a true leader. This is the kind of leadership which Nelson Mandela had illustrated. Malema believes that ANC leaders have a history of controversy and tries to copy it on an amateurish level. As examples he however does not take Nelson Mandela, but Peter Mokaba with his "Kill the Boer" slogan and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who wanted to free everyone with matches. Just like his role models, only the best is good enough for Malema. In the midst of his follower's poverty, he drives around with a Mercedes Benz E-class and lives in the rich man's area of Sandton.

South Africa can not afford to get stuck with this kind of leader and politics. A million Tutsi's were murdered in 1994 in genocide in Rwanda. That was preceded by hate speech in which Tutsi's were described as cockroaches which had to be eradicated.

If discipline disappears out of schools and society, then an individual such as Julius Malema becomes a youth leader. As youth leader he was elected at an ANC youth conference where poor behavior, alcohol abuse, indecent exposure and damage to property were the characteristics of the conference. In a disciplined society such as Japan or China, such a conference would have concentrated on the future of the country and Malema's kind of rhetoric would not even have been seen.

In order to prevent Malema from ever becoming president of this country, the ANC has to end in the opposition seats. No opposition party can succeed with this on its own. A coalition of opposition parties can succeed with this. That is why every voter has to go and vote for the party closest to its values. After the election, truly responsible leaders work together to accomplish this.

Source: Polity

Can You Stomach Investing In China?

Over the past several decades China has seen many significant improvements in its national health and quality of life, surely the result of the massive amounts of capital infused into the country since its initial embrace of controlled capitalism.

According to the World Health Organization, by 2005 the average life expectancy in the Middle Kingdom was just over 70 years old, whereas in 1952 it was closer to 30. The story among China's children is even more heartening. According to UNICEF, infant mortality rates had fallen from 1990 to 2000 from 65 to 31 infants per 1,000. These are just some of the positive signs of affluence China has experienced.

But serious problems remain. The Worldwatch Institute notes that industrial pollution accidents have played a major role in poisoning China's water supply, with 20% of it falling beneath national standards. While industrialization has brought obvious improvements in health, human rights violations remain the norm.

On Feb. 9 Human Rights Watch illustrated a lengthy list of atrocities it urges the United Nations to confront China about, including: forced confessions and torture in the justice system, child labor including in state schools and persecution of religious dissidents

Source: Forbes.com

Senior National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) staff could be charged

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been aware for some time that Commissioner Mdluli from South African Police Service (SAPS) has been conducting an investigation in a matter involving some of its senior management.

However, the NPA is extremely concerned to learn from papers filed in a labour dispute that members of its senior management, including the acting head of the NPA Advocate Mokotedi Mpshe, are regarded as suspects in this matter.

There has been a considerable communication and meetings between Advocate Mpshe and Commissioner Mdluli in this regard, and no indication has been given to him that he is a suspect.

The acting head of the National Prosecutions Service, Advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi, has co-operated with SAPS. He has also not been informed that he is a suspect, nor was he warned as a suspect as required by law when he was interviewed about the matter.

An added concern is that an intercepted telephonic conversation of Advocate Leonard McCarthy, former head of the Directorate of Special Operation (DSO), appears to be the basis for this investigation. As far as the NPA is aware, it is a criminal offence to make a legal interception public as has been done in the labour dispute. It has also not been made clear to those interviewed whether this interception was made in terms of the law.

While the NPA is willing to co-operate in any investigation, it is very concerned about whether this matter is being handled in good faith and will seek to raise its concerns as soon as possible with the Minister of Safety and Security, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, and the acting National Police Commissioner Tim Williams.

The NPA regards the SAPS as a partner in the fight against crime, and respect its mandate to prevent and investigate crime. We trust that the existing inter-agency co-operation will assist in order to have our concerns addressed.

Enquiries:
Tlali Tlali
National Prosecuting Authority Spokesperson
Cell: 082 333 3880

Issued by: National Prosecuting Authority
16 February 2009

Commission approves Vodafone-Vodacom merger

The Competition Commission has recommended the approval of the proposed large merger between Vodafone and Vodacom, it said on Monday. It has referred the transaction to the Competition Tribunal for approval. Currently, Vodacom is jointly owned by Telkom South Africa, which holds a 50% stake in Vodacom, and Vodafone, which also holds 50%. In terms of the proposed transaction, Vodafone will acquire a further 15% of the issued share capital in Vodacom from Telkom.

Vodacom will be listed on the JSE and Telkom will unbundle its remaining 35% shares in Vodacom to its own shareholders. On completion of the proposed transaction, Vodafone will hold 65% of the issued share capital of Vodacom. The remaining shares of Vodacom will be publicly held. Vodafone will exercise sole control over Vodacom post-merger, the commission said.

During its investigation of the proposed merger the commission established that Vodafone did not compete with Vodacom in any of the product markets in South Africa. "The commission is also of the view that the vertical integration between the parties is unlikely to result in any substantial prevention or lessening of competition," the commission said.

The commission contacted the merging parties' competitors and customers to solicit their views regarding the proposed transaction. No significant competition concerns were raised by either the customers or competitors of the merging parties. The commission's investigation revealed that there were "other credible players in the relevant markets in which the merging parties were involved".

The commission also concluded that there were "no significant public interest issues that warranted a prohibition or conditional approval of the transaction". The tribunal will hold public hearings into the matter on February 25 at 10am.

Source: Mail & Guardian -- Sapa

Guangdong GDP set to grow 8.5%

Guangdong province, the country's top economic powerhouse, is forecasting 8.5 percent GDP growth this year, a draft government report said yesterday.

The report is yet to be discussed by delegates to the provincial people's congress, which opens today in the provincial capital of Guangzhou. Growth will be less than last year's 10.1 percent, sources close to the provincial people's congress said. GDP of the province was about 3.57 trillion yuan ($522 billion) last year, down 4.6 percent on 2007.

"As the largest province in terms of GDP, Guangdong will face a tough time in 2009 as it has been greatly affected by the global financial crisis," Governor Huang Huahua said at a government work meeting in December 2008.

Source: China View

Govt admits passport problems

Government on Tuesday admitted that there were "some problems" with its passport authorisation systems that had led to the United Kingdom imposing a visa requirement on South Africans travelling to that country.

"We as a country, and I think the department of home affairs, will be the first to admit that there has been some problems in our identity card authorisation system," foreign affairs director-general Ayanda Ntsaluba told a media briefing in Cape Town.

The UK on Monday announced all South African visitors would require a visa, citing a need to "strengthen its borders" as the reason for the move, set to affect about 420 000 travellers.

"Abuse of the South African passport remains a serious concern," the British High Commission in Pretoria said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

Source: News 24.com

Linda Mti's Bosasa bonanza

Controversial facilities management group Bosasa lavished flights and luxury hotel stays on former prisons boss Linda Mti -- while it landed prisons contracts worth more than R1-billion. The mutually beneficial relationship between Bosasa and Mti, now head of security for the 2010 Local Organising Committee, is laid bare by travel records in the Mail & Guardian’s possession.

They show that Bosasa:

* Sponsored the domestic air fare of Mti and his family members on at least five occasions;
* Paid for Mti’s stay at the luxury Hemingways hotel in East London on at least two occasions; and
* Rented premium cars for Mti when he visited East London at least twice.

Mti received these benefits while prisons commissioner. During the last two years of his tenure the group won contracts from the correctional services department worth more than R1-billion. Mti failed to respond to numerous queries, while Bosasa’s lawyer advised the company not to answer the M&G’s questions.

Mti left correctional services under a cloud of suspicion in 2006 after Beeld revealed that Bosasa’s company secretary, Tony Perry, had registered a private company for him. He was subsequently appointed head of security for the Fifa World Cup.

Bosasa’s travel records show that:

* On June 15 2005 Mti flew to East London at Bosasa’s expense and was put up in the four-star Hemingways hotel for four nights. The company also paid for his Avis premium rental car. The trip came shortly after Sondolo IT, 40% owned by Bosasa Operations, won a R237-million contract for the supply and installation of access control systems and CCTV at 66 prisons on April 29 2005.
* On July 25 2005 Bosasa sponsored the return airfare of Mti’s relative, Sehlule Mti, from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth and back. Three days later Bosasa paid for Mti and then National Intelligence Agency deputy director general Gibson Njenje to fly from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth.
In December 2005 Bosasa company Phezulu Fencing won a R487-million tender to supply and install security fencing at 66 prisons.
* On March 3 2006 Bosasa sponsored a weekend trip for Mti to East London, where he stayed in the Hemingways hotel’s presidential suite. Bosasa’s travel agent was instructed to rent a seven-seat Mercedes Benz Vito for Mti.

Two weeks later, on March 17 2006, Sondolo IT won a R224-million tender to install TV sets in all prison communal cells.

A day later Bosasa paid for Mti’s son, Vukani, to fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a return ticket.
Njenje told the M&G he was Bosasa’s founding non-executive chairman before being headhunted by the NIA. While in the NIA’s employ his travels to Port Elizabeth were covered by Bosasa twice -- on June 10 and July 28 2005.

He told the M&G he saw no problem with Bosasa paying for his travel while he was a state employee. “I was headhunted into a government position while active as a businessman with various interests. All I needed to do to comply with the employment conditions was to resign as an executive director from the companies,” he said.

“My shareholding and all benefits accruing were a matter of declaring and that I did as required. Some of the companies I was a shareholder in had or have relations with Bosasa. My private travel expenses would be one of the benefits that accrued to all the shareholders of the companies I am referring to.

“So, as it were, it was not a matter of Bosasa ‘sponsoring’ my travels, but an arrangement between companies.”

The M&G received three calls this week from “concerned Bosasa employees” who said they were afraid the M&G’s reporting about their employer would cost them their jobs.

Two threatened to organise a protest march on the M&G’s office, accusing the paper of being “racist” and printing “untruths”.

“Who will look after my children if I don’t have a job anymore?” an employee from the East Rand said.

Bosasa spokesperson Papa Leshabane did not return the M&G’s calls on the matter.

Here’s the proof

Annexure A: Confirmation of travel booking for Linda Mti and Gibson Njenje by Bosasa’s travel agent

Annexure B: Email from Bosasa’s operations coordinator Angelo Agrizzi to Bosasa’s travel agent about ‘VIP booking” for Mti

Annexure C: Confirmation of travel and accommodation booking for Mti by Bosasa’s travel agent

Source: Mail & Guardian