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Polity
Article by: Amy Witherden
Published: 19 Nov 2008
Daily podcast - November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Dennis Ndaba.

Making headlines:

African National Congress general secretary Gwede Mantashe has sharply attacked National Prosecution Authority director, Mokotedi Mpshe, over comments he made to the media about Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson's ruling on the Jacob Zuma case.

The NPA's director has stated that Judge Nicholson is completely wrong, and Mpshe will not change his position on this. In his response to this statement, Mantashe says it is clear that the NPA is pursuing a political vendetta against ANC president Zuma.

Mantashe continued his attack on Mpshe, accusing him of utter contempt and disrespect for the rule of law and for the country's judiciary. He said that Mpshe made these comments with flagrant disregard for the code of ethics that prohibits prosecutors from making public statements, or issuing press releases that are likely to prejudice a defendant's right to a fair trial. Mantashe added that Mpshe's comments were aimed at influencing and affecting the outcome of the approaching general elections.

In other South African news, the African National Congress has served legal papers on Mosuioa Lekota's breakaway party for using the name Congress of the People. These papers, in the form of a lawyer's letter, demand that all promotional material bearing Cope's name must be delivered to the ANC for destruction.

The letter states that the ANC enjoys common law rights to the name Cope. The ruling party argues that the Congress of the People in 1955 was a "seminal, historical event" organised by the ANC and its congress alliance partners. The Freedom Charter was adopted at this event.

The ANC requests Cope to stop using the name, to withdraw the trademark applications that have been made, and to cease from registering their Section 21 company under that name. ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus says that his party will be entitled to institute urgent High Court proceedings should Lekota's party not abide by this request.

Niehaus added that a copy of the letter had been sent to the Independent Electoral Commission. If the IEC decides that the name Cope causes confusion and refuses its application to register for elections, the ANC will not need to go to court. Cope spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama says in response, that the new party will definitely continue to use the name Cope.

In Zimbabwe, processes are under way for the drafting of a constitutional amendment that will empower President Robert Mugabe to form a unity government. This is despite the opposition Movement for Democratic Change refusing to join a Cabinet until all power-sharing talks are resolved.

Mugabe's government is currently drafting Constitutional Amendment Number 19, which will be gazetted soon after the two formations of the MDC are consulted.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai refuses to agree to a unity government as he accuses Mugabe of trying to take control of the most powerful Ministries and freeze out his party in violation of a September 15 power-sharing agreement.

Also making headlines:

The ANC denies rumours of an early election date.
The United Nations says that more peacekeepers will not bring peace to the Congo.
The second phase of the Public Works programme is set to create 4,5-million jobs.
And, the ANC condemns acts of political intimidation.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, visit polity.org.za.