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Polity
Article by: Amy Witherden
Published: 09 Jan 2009
Daily podcast - January 9, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
Ahead of the African National Congress's manifesto launch in East London this weekend, political analysts are divided over whether the ruling party or its rival, the Congress of the People, will win voters' confidence in the hotly contested Eastern Cape province.
Political analyst Protas Madlala said that while Cope was likely to diminish the ANC's majority in Eastern Cape, it does not have the strength to beat the ruling party. Madlala explained that most people in the province still associate the ANC with the struggle for liberation, and are likely to perceive Cope as a threat to the revolution.
On the other hand, Centre for African Renaissance Studies chairperson Shadrack Gutto opposed Madlala's analysis. He says that the outcome of the battle between the ANC and Cope is by no means a foregone conclusion. Gutto explained that it would be difficult for the ANC to claim sole ownership of the liberation struggle, since many of Cope's leaders had also made a contribution.
Both Madlala and Gutto said that it was unlikely that the ANC's manifesto would represent a major departure from the government's current policies.

In international news, World Bank President Robert Zoellick has called for more cooperation between peacekeeping and development teams working in countries emerging from conflict, such as Liberia, Afghanistan and Haiti.
Zoellick urged a new approach by the international community in dealing with post conflict countries. He said that securing and rebuilding fragile States should go hand in hand. He added that peacekeeping forces need to be larger and deployed for longer periods to help countries in transition.
Zoellick explained that there is a need to secure development. He wants to bring security and development together, first to smooth the transition from conflict to peace, and then to entrench stability, so that development can take hold.

Back home, South Africa's Security Ministry has said that it is investigating six members of an elite protection unit, for murder or attempted murder. There are also 40 other officers under investigation for offences ranging from assault to reckless driving. This is a new embarrassment for police accused of corruption and incompetence.
Safety and Security Ministry spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said the investigations of members of the VIP protection force were being treated very seriously, but none of the accused were in custody and no charges had been brought.
The details first emerged in response to a parliamentary question by the opposition party, the Democratic Alliance. Data shows how a directionless police service is failing to hold its police units to account. The DA called for immediate action, while Mulaudzi stressed that all those accused were innocent until proven guilty.

Also making headlines:
The Democratic Alliance's Parliamentary leader Sandra Botha is to retire after the elections.
A Zimbabwe court orders a probe into torture claims by detained opposition members.
A report says that the collapse of the Sudan peace pact could spell disaster for that country.
And, the Supreme Court of Appeal is to rule on the Jacob Zuma corruption case on Monday.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, visit polity.org.za.