10. The Sunday Tribune interview [NL] with Johann Mettler, the administrator brought in to clean up the Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) municipality:

Mettler explained to Niyanta Singh how councillors and officials were effectively looting municipal funds. Under one scheme senior managers used a loophole in the travel mileage claim process to claim R16 a kilometre. At that rate a trip to Durban would have allowed a manager to collect more than R2,000. Mettler added that "People were also inflating their mileage claims, as they were getting more than they actually travelled." In addition, 3G cards "were abused in teh region of R169,000 for three months and cellphone claims amounting to R30,000." Staff members and councillors had also run up huge arrears for rates, water and electricity.

9. The Rapport/City Press report on the Suidlanders - the latest manifestation of a growing tendency towards Millenerianism among white South Africans:

Mariechen Waldner reports that the Suidlanders are led by a former Military Intelligence agent, Gustav Muller. The organisation aims to prepare places of safety across the country for white refugees fleeing a racial massacre triggered by the death of former president, Nelson Mandela. Rapport states that some right wingers believe the Suidlanders to be a state intelligence project, designed to mop up, identify and neutralise disparate white right wing elements.

8. The City Press report on how COSATU is bleeding membership to other trade unions:

Mpho Sibanyoni reports that COSATU has identified six affiliates in need of urgent intervention. The worst affected union is the Communication Workers Union. The CWU lost 4,222 members at the South African Post Office to the South African Postal Workers' Union (Sapwu) which was formed in March 2009. Meanwhile, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) - a breakaway from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) - has built up a membership of 20,000. Overall, COSATU's membership database shows it has lost 200,000 members between 2008 and last year. Labour analyst Terry Bell said disaffected COSATU members probably feel that the union federation "uses them as voting fodder for the ruling ANC instead of trying to help the labourers recover jobs lost during the recession." However, Wits industrial sociologist Andries Bezuidenhout stated that some of the breakaway formations were often motivated by a desire "to get their hands on the members' provident funds." Bezuidenhout ascribed the shrinkage in COSATU membership to the recession and competition from legal and insurance schemes such as Scorpion and Legal Wise.

7. The Mail & Guardian report on putative plans to establish a pro-ANC daily newspaper:

Sam Sole and Stefaans Brümmer write that "The Gupta group, regarded as close to President Jacob Zuma, is considering launching a daily newspaper that sources say will be broadly sympathetic to the ANC. Speaking on behalf of his brother, Atul, who is abroad, Tony Gupta said: ;Yes, there is a feasibility study we are doing ... we have hired some advisers, but nothing is decided yet'." Gupta was responding to queries... concerning a meeting at Atul Gupta's Saxonwold, Johannesburg, home allegedly involving Gupta, or his brother, Ajay; Zuma; and Jessie Duarte, Zuma's chief operating officer at the time."

6. The City Press reports (see here and here) on how ANCYL linked companies are continuing to profit from state tenders:

Dumisane Lubisi writes that City Press had "uncovered a scheme - hatched last year - that places new directors of the [ANC Youth] league's controversial company, Lembede Investment Holdings, in line for a 30% share of all deals signed during their term of office. Documents and sources reveal that the scheme revolves around creating several companies to front for the league - and making a few individuals rich. The companies, in which Lembede holds shares through trusts, are getting tenders from government departments, a municipality and state-owned companies sympathetic to the youth league."

Meanwhile, Piet Rampedi reported one of these companies - Review Printers - "landed a crucial printing contract with the Limpopo government." The company was apparently 30% owned by the ANCYL investment vehicle, the South African Youth Development Trust. (Note: The ANCYL vehemently denies both reports.)

5 - 3. The various reports on the disciplinary charges facing ANCYL President, Julius Malema:

Piet Rampedi reports in City Press [NL] that Malema would not attend the ANC national disciplinary committee (NDC) hearing scheduled for May 3 2010 as "he was not even aware of the hearing or any charges that had been laid against him." However, NDC chairman, Derek Hanekom told the newspaper that Malema was expected at Luthuli House on Monday afternoon. "I am not sure what Malema is saying. All I know is that he has been served with a notice and we expect him on Monday."

In the Sunday Times meanwhile Moipane Malefane reported that Malema had been advised by ANC Treasurer General, Mathews Phosa, to plead guilty on the charges against him. Although the ANCYL was insisting that Malema would not attend the disciplinary hearing the newspaper reported that Phosa had "advised Malema to plead guilty in order to avoid a harsh sentence, which could include the suspension of his ANC membership."

In the Mail & Guardian on Friday Mmanaledi Mataboge named the ANC elders who would be sitting on Malema's disciplinary panel along with Hanekom. They were Susan Shabangu, Zola Skweyiya, Collins Chabane, Ayanda Dlodlo, and Febe Potgieter-Gqubule. Mataboge writes that the decision to press ahead with charges "after information was leaked to the media [mostly from ANCYL sources] that charges against Malema had been dropped. The decision... was taken to protect Zuma from perceptions that he is a lame duck, after Malema defied him in public."

2. Chris Barron's interview in the Sunday Times [NL] with Black Management Forum President and Labour department DG, Jimmy Manyi:

In a recent address to a BMF conference on the constitution Manyi had questioned whether the media had taken the right to freedom of expression too far. "Why is it" he asked "that the media can have a field day railroading the office of the president [with] impunity?" Barron asked Manyi: Are you saying the press should not be allowed to criticise the president? JM: No, not the president, the office of the president. Under the guise of freedom of expression the office of the president is disrespected by the press. CB: How do you distinguish between the office of the president and the president? JM: If the media doesn't know that I will be disappointed. CB: Can you give me an example of the criticism of the president's office you're talking about as distinct from criticism of the president? JM: If you're saying the media does not know the difference then it's another discussion. CB: So you can't give me an example? JM: The office of the president is an institution of democracy.

1. The Mail & Guardian report on yet another dubious contract entered into by the SABC:

Niren Tolsi reports that in a move kept secret from newly installed SABC CEO Solly Mokoetle the public broadcaster decided to rent studio space at the Sandton Convention Centre during the World Cup at the astronomical cost of R26-million for 1800m2. The space was rented through a middleman, Graham Cooke, the president of World Travel Awards, and a friend of both the head of the SABC's Project 2010, Peter Kwele, and his wife, Lindiwe Mahlangu-Kwele, chief executive of Johannesburg Tourism. "According to the convention centre, its rates during the World Cup period have remained at R20 a square metre a day for exhibition hall one and R15 a square metre a day for its second exhibition hall. But in the sub-letting deal, the SABC will effectively pay about R480 a square metre a day."

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