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Welc ome to Creamer Media’s Polity. In this podcast, read by Shona Kohler, and compiled with the assistance of Reuters, we bring you a review of the past week’s activities on Polity.

In this week’s breaking news:
- South African President Thabo Mbeki appoints former National Assembly speaker Frene Ginwala to conduct an enquiry into the National Director of Public Prosecutions;
- Zimbabwe passes a Bill giving local owners majority control of foreign-owned companies; and
- Kenya’s president rejects a Parliamentary Bill that seeks to limit probes into major corruption cases.

PUBLIC PROSECUTOR INVESTIGATION

South African President Thabo Mbeki has appointed former National Assembly speaker Frene Ginwala to head a commission of enquiry into the suspension of National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli.

Mbeki suspended Pikoli last week, citing a breakdown in the working relationship between Pikoli and Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla.

However, speculation is rife that the suspension is linked to a reported arrest warrant for the country’s National Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, on allegations of ties to criminal syndicates.

There is also speculation that the suspension of Pikoli may impact on the prosecution of other high profile cases, including that of presidential hopeful Jacob Zuma.

ZIMBABWE EMPOWERMENT BILL

Zimbabwe’s Parliament last week passed a Bill giving local owners majority control of foreign-owned companies, including banks and mines, threatening to drive the country’s fragile economy deeper into crisis.

President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, which enjoys a majority in Parliament, pushed through the legislation after members of the main opposition, Movement for Democratic Change, walked out in protest.

The Bill is now to be considered by the upper Senate, where it is expected to sail through, to await Mugabe’s signature.

Mugabe’s government, which critics accuse of plunging Zimbabwe into turmoil by seizing white-owned farms and handing them to inexperienced black farmers, says the Bill is part of its drive to empower the country’s poor majority.

However, analysts fear that the move could sound the death knell for an economy in recession and which has been hit by foreign investor flight over fears about the security of their investments.

KENYA’S GRAFT BILL REJECTED BY PRESIDENT

Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki has rejected a Parliamentary Bill that seeks to limit probes into major corruption cases, following warnings from Western governments that the Bill marks a major step backwards in the fight against graft.

Under the 24-year rule of former President Daniel arap Moi, endemic graft almost brought the East African country’s economy to its knees, and the proposed Bill would have prevented the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission from investigating corruption that took place during that period.

Kibaki replaced Moi in 2002 and is running for re-election at Kenya’s fourth general election, expected in December.

Critics say that Kibaki has allowed corruption to continue under his leadership, but his supporters argue that the worst perpetrators are now among the opposition ranks.

That concludes the news portion of this week’s podcast.

Also available on the Polity website are a number of recommended reports and documents that provide for interesting reading. New to the site in the past week are:
- Statistics South Africa’s latest Labour Force Survey; and
- A consultation paper on South African power utility Eskom’s application for rule changes to the Multiyear Price Determination.

Also freely downloadable on the site are several new pieces of South African legislation, including the Rental Housing Amendment Bill, and the Criminal Law (Sentencing) Amendment Bill.

Finally, don’t forget that Polity’s Speeches page contains a collection of important addresses made by South African government leaders and other leading figures from around the African continent.

That’s a roundup of this week’s activities on Creamer Media’s polity.org.za.

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