Small storm, not a Small War
The BBC's latest comment:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8602512.stm
Quote:
South African President Jacob Zuma has called for calm after white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche was killed. Mr Zuma told the nation he was shocked by the news and urged unity. He sent condolences to the Terreblanche family. Police have arrested two farm workers who they say beat Mr Terreblanche to death in a dispute over wages. Mr Terreblanche's far-right movement is urging its members to be calm. It says his murder has political overtones, a claim the governing ANC rejects.
A wider BBC obituary:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3797797.stmwhich ends with this:
Quote:
...he was still as much a master of the grand gesture as he had been throughout his ineffectual political career.
There maybe angry Afrikaner farmers and some sympathy amongst the fringes of the now inactive political right, but is this a "spark" for trouble? I doubt it, partly due to the long history of the political right, their inability to make inroads amongst the mainly urban white population and revenge aside what do they offer.
The government would be wiser to look again at the number of farmers being murdered, although I'm not sure if the murders continue at the pace of a few years ago. Long time since I have looked at these issues in depth.
A man who thinks Mugabe can teach South Africa
A dour, pessimistic article on Julius Malema, an ANC "youth" leader, who has just been in Zimbabwe visiting President Mugabe:
Quote:
If you ask me, Malema is the point-man for a powerful ANC faction whose motive is greed and whose chosen weapon is racial demagoguery of the most primitive kind.
The trouble is that this card trumps all others. Our underclass is huge, poorly educated and desperately poor. They know what happened in Zimbabwe, but even so, the prospect of loot is irresistible, and that's Malema's bait. Mandela gave them free houses. Mbeki gave them welfare grants, leading to a situation where five million taxpayers support 13 million indigents, with the total rising far more rapidly than our ability to pay. Now Malema and the faceless vultures behind him are offering them the rest. They are playing the death card, the Ace of Spades.
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...eath-card.html
Temperature rises - watch & wait
The other day there was a report:
Quote:
South African police have foiled an attempt by right-wing extremists to bomb black townships ahead of the World Cup, according to the co[/URL]untry's police minister.
Link:[URL="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africaandindianocean/southafrica/7686944/South-African-police-foil-extremist-attempt-to-bomb-black-townships.html"]
Today this:
Quote:
Dozens of people have been injured in South Africa's coastal city of Durban on Sunday after an explosion in a train carriage, police said.
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...explosion.html
Waiting for developments and hoping the two are stories are not linked.
SANDF Combat Readiness - Some grave concerns
A raw Op-Ed on the state of some South African units.
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...nce&Itemid=112
The author has served in various positions with the SANDF for 24 years
http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/peter-dovey-24751
13 South African soldiers killed in CAR
In what is clearly a terrible mess, with yet another violent coup d'etat in the Central African Republic (CAR), with a small SANDF training mission being attacked for nine hours:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21923624
Quote:
...officials are now hard-pressed to explain the role the South African soldiers were expected to play in the event of an attack.
There are still many unanswered questions but some have accused the government of poor judgement, saying the incident has not only caused embarrassment for the army, but for South Africa as a key player in peace missions in Africa.
No reports that the French contingent had such problems.
Maybe some light on what SANDF were up to?
The following passage is from a Reuters article on Chad's emergence as a regional power:
Quote:
In Central African Republic, Chad's decisive role in the change of government exposed South Africa's pretension of acting as a continental superpower. Pretoria had sent a contingent of some 400 troops to prop up President Francois Bozize.
Deby, who had helped Bozize seize power in a 2003 coup, had tired of Bozize's refusal to share power with the opposition which was stirring up a revolt along Chad's southern border.
The final straw came when Bozize disbanded his Chadian bodyguard and turned to South Africa for military aid. Deby ordered Chad's peacekeepers to step aside and Seleka rebel forces stormed the capital, as France made good on its promise not to intervene militarily.
South Africa's involvement ended with 13 of its soldiers killed, showing Pretoria lacked the regional knowledge and military resources to play a decisive role in Deby's backyard.
Link:http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id...30508?irpc=932
AQ training in South Africa?
A very odd South African report, alleging AQ had training facilities in South Africa, which became untouchable and a surveillance operation was closed:
Quote:
The police’s specialised unit, Crimes Against the State (CATS) and the State Security Agency (SSA) have been monitoring the training of al-Qaeda terrorists in South Africa for several years, without taking any action. A year-long investigation by the Daily Maverick’s DE WET POTGIETER has revealed surprising inaction by police despite incriminating evidence about secret military training camps and sophisticated sniper training at three well-documented locations as well as several others across South Africa. These subversive activities have taken place at a farm near the notorious Apartheid police hit squad camp at Vlakplaas outside Pretoria, as well as a secluded farm in the mountains of the Klein Karoo.
Link:http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/artic...-south-africa/
Those accused have exercised the 'right of reply':http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/artic...krat-responds/
Just how South Africa works is a moot point, likewise some of the allegations made. The next one I'd not seen before:
Quote:
The fugitive ‘white widow’ of a 7/7 London bomber was a key link between Al Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan and their fighters in East Africa, it has emerged. Muslim convert Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to Kings Cross bomber Germaine Lindsay, spent two years working for the deadly extremist organisation in South Africa using a false name.
Link:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...me%5Eheadlines
All quite puzzling, as I am sure the USSS are - President Obama has a trip soon to South Africa.
(Added) Found an update on the political reaction from a more well-known, South African defence periodical:http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...d=74&Itemid=30
South Africa’s military meltdown
From an unusual direction, the UK-based 'New Statesman' an article on the SANDF, with a sub-title:
Quote:
On the face of it, life continues as normal, but behind the scenes the South African military has been cut to the point where it's doubtful it will be able to live up to its African responsibilities.
Yes the budget has shrunk, but this example alone illustrates it is far more than money:
Quote:
Earlier this month it was revealed that the Air Force has no maintenance contract for the 26 Grippen fighter jets, ordered at great cost in 1999. Without maintenance they aircraft are almost useless....With six trained pilots....
Link:http://www.newstatesman.com/internat...itary-meltdown
Curious that a mixed bag of US units are in the Eastern Cape on an exercise this week:http://www.army.mil/article/107990/U...red_Accord_13/
What does this say: Fake interpreter at Mandela memorial?
Sadly the media have reported 'Fake interpreter at (Mandela) memorial 'made up his own signs' say South Africa's deaf federation. Film clip and short story:http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-...his-own-signs/
One hopes the SA government will sack all those involved in the use of the fake interpreter.
I watched some of the memorial service on the BBC. When President Zuma and ex-president George Bush arrived in the stadium they were booed. Today it is reported SABC cut the booing of President Zuma out. Hidden away elsewhere President Robert Mugabe and President Obama are reported as being loudly cheered.
It's not the first time the fake has appeared
ITN has found some previous footage:
Quote:
The footage, apparently filmed in January 2012 at the ANC party's 100th anniversary, shows the man making gestures as Zuma sings to the crowd.
ANC communications manager Keith Khoza told NBC News that the interpreter had translated for party events in the past, but said that the man only “volunteered” and was not paid.
Link:http://www.itv.com/news/story/2013-1...ealed-as-fake/
Subject Has Violent History
I just saw a report on NBC where they actually interviewed this person and he admitted he was being treated for schizophrenia and he has a history of violence.......so they let this person stand next to our President???? Like they say you just cant make this stuff up.
(Added by Moderator) Try BBC interview:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25346253