South Africa

JOHANNESBURG - Former National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi has been granted leave to appeal the finding that he received payments from a convicted drug trafficker, in a ruling by the High Court, in Johannesburg. "Leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal is granted to the accused on the issue of whether the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused received payment . . . ," says Judge Meyer Joffe. This was the only point of seven submitted by Selebi that Joffe ruled could go on appeal. Joffe found Selebi guilty of corruption and sentenced him to 15 years in prison earlier this year. At the hearing, Selebi sat in the dock as his advocate, Jaap Cilliers, raised several points to support the application for appeal. These include the application during the trial that Joffe recuse himself, that public interest justified further "ventilation" because there had been immense interest in the case, and that another court might find reasons to deviate from Joffe's imposition of the maximum sentence.

CAPE TOWN - African universities are key to remaking the continent, former President Thabo Mbeki says. "Africa will overcome the challenges of poverty, underdevelopment and global
marginalisation not because of its wealth in natural resources but because of its intellectual ability to properly manage and utilise these resources for the benefit of the peoples of our continent," Mbeki says at the All Africa Students' Union conference, at the University of Cape Town. "In this sense, the resources embedded in earth Africa may turn into a curse if Africa does not develop the intellectual capital to empower the African masses and the governments they elect to exploit these resources for the greater good of the citizen. The regenerated African university must be the principal driver of that intellectual awakening, which awakening will empower the peoples of Africa to remake our societies and our continent." He says that students are tasked with leading the drive toward the new African university. Mbeki bemoans the "parlous state" of the African university plagued by inadequate infrastructure, understaffing, inadequate libraries and outdated books, underpaid lecturers, staff attrition through the brain drain and a lack of even the basic services, such as water, sanitation and electricity. Further, many sub-Saharan African countries do not have significant student loan programmes.

PRETORIA - The country's murder rate showed its largest decline since 1995, falling below 17 000 for the past year, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa says. "This is a significant achievement. Of all crimes this is one category that you cannot cheat," he says. The rate fell 8,6% in the past financial year ending March 31, 2010. For the year ended March 2009 there were 18 148 murders. Attempted murders dropped by 6,1%. The number of sexual crimes fell 4,4%. A total of 26 311 people were arrested connected with sexual crimes. In the fight against crime, 110 police officers lost their lives. It was critical to remove corrupt police officers from the South African Police Service. The overall drop in several crime categories is "satisfactory", but more needed to be done, he adds.

JOHANNESBURG - Strike action to curb rampant corruption may be on the cards, according to a Congress of South African Trade Union's (Cosatu) discussion document. "We need a far-reaching programme to fight this cancer. Action against corruption must be incorporated into our Section 77 demands at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac)," the discussion document on the federation's August central executive committee meeting reads. Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven says that the inclusion of corruption in a Section 77 is aimed at "getting the issue [corruption] raised to a higher profile". "It's to demand more thorough investigations into allegations of corruption and tougher action when one is found guilty," he adds. Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi came under fire earlier this year from the African National Congress (ANC) for singling out two Cabinet ministers, Cooperative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda, when pronouncing that a tougher stance on corruption was needed. Mooted disciplinary action against him by the ruling party was, however, later abandoned. The battle against corruption is aimed at putting the "predatory elites" - who Cosatu argue are endangering the ANC - on the "back foot", the document says.

CAPE TOWN - The proposed media appeals tribunal is intended to "strengthen, complement, and support the current self-regulatory institutions", President Jacob Zuma says. Replying to questions in the National Assembly, he says that the African National Congress's (ANC's) resolution on a proposed media tribunal "promotes media freedom within the context of the human rights ethos" of the Constitution. "It promotes the view that the right of freedom of expression should not be elevated above other equally important rights, especially the right to human dignity, which is also enshrined in the Constitution," he says. The intention is that the tribunal "would strengthen, complement, and support the current self-regulatory institutions, such as the Press Ombudsman's office". "It must be noted that this vibrant debate has resulted in a decision by the Press Council to review its constitution with a view to strengthening its self-regulatory mechanisms." However, whether the review is taking place or not, "we have put this one, our own, media appeals tribunal", Zuma adds. Since the debate started, there have been more apologies from the media. But when it reports about individuals, "you have huge headlines and a picture of the person". However, when "they discovered their reporting was erroneous" and agreed to retract, "they don't give the same equal weight". "The apology is somewhere hidden inside a small little thing. It's not fair," Zuma says.

Africa & the WORLD

ABIDJAN - Côte d'Ivoire's Presidential candidates have all accepted a voter list produced by the electoral commission, the Prime Minister says, a sign that a poll, delayed for five years, may finally take place. "I'm happy to tell you that we are all agreed on the definitive electoral list," Prime Minister Guillaume Soro says in the presence of electoral rivals President Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidates Alassane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie, after a meeting with them. "We are telling the electoral commission president to do what he can to make the electoral list available this week. The list will be sanctioned by a decree by the President." The electoral commission says that it has produced a final voter list for the first time, raising the possibility that an election that has been repeatedly delayed since 2005 might actually go ahead. The election is needed to end years of turmoil in the once prosperous West African nation, after a failed 2002 rebellion against Gbagbo cut the country in two, scaring off investment and damaging the economy. Key reforms to the cocoa sector in the world's top grower, which supplies 40% of world demand, also hinge on it.

CAIRO - Egyptian potential Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei says that change in the leadership of the country will come in the next year and calls for a boycott of Parliamentary polls in November, saying that they will be rigged. ElBaradei also says that civil disobedience is the last resort if the State continues to ignore demands for reform. But he nonetheless urges his supporters to gather up to two-million to three-million signatures by the end of year. "The next year and months will be critical and will witness change in the rule of Egypt," ElBaradei says.

ABUJA - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has told state governors in the ruling party that he intends to stand in elections next January, one of the governors who attended the meeting says. Imo state governor Ikedi Okahim, a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), says that Jonathan has made his intentions known at a meeting with PDP governors, in the Presidential villa, late on Tuesday. Okahim returned to meet Jonathan again on Wednesday, with members of his state parliament and other officials. "He told me yesterday that he will run, he told all of us (PDP governors) that he will run, that's why I am here with my speaker and my state leaders to assure him that we have decided we will support him," Okahim says. Jonathan has so far declined to publicly say whether he will run and his office has said that, until he makes a public declaration either way, any other comment is speculation. But recent announcements from Jonathan's administration, including a major blueprint to end chronic power shortages and road and infrastructure projects, have looked more like campaign promises and most Nigerians expect he will stand.