Andrew Stegmann

The Zuma effect

BLUSTERY winter weather settled over South Africa on August 3rd as voters handed the ruling African National Congress a sharply diminished share of the vote in local-government elections, the most competitive polls since the end of apartheid. As The Economist went to press, incomplete results showed that the ANC had slid from 63% in the 2011 local polls (it won 62% in the 2014 national election) to around 52%. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) appeared on track to boost its support to above 30%, up from 24% in 2011 and 22% in 2014. For Mmusi Maimane, 36, who only last year became the first black leader of what is still viewed as a white party, these results are a vote of confidence.

The populist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), under the young firebrand Julius Malema, looked likely to match the 6.5% of the vote they received in 2014, the first election the party contested. This will be a big disappointment for Mr Malema, who had hoped to triple the EFF’s tally by appealing to disgruntled young ANC supporters with promises of nationalising mines and seizing white-owned land.

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Andrew Stegmann

No ID card – and no vote – for irate SA man

Johannesburg – While most of the country gets ready to cast their vote in the municipal elections on Wednesday, one man will only be able to watch from a distance.

In June, The Star reported that Joseph Khoza’s ID has been blocked on and off since 1988 because of a Department of Home Affairs mix-up, which repeatedly alleges that he is an illegal immigrant from Mozambique.

But Khoza is South African, born in this country to a South African mother and a Mozambican father.

Department spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete had said Khoza’s details had to be corroborated against the Home Affairs National Identification System (Hanis) to verify his identity. He had added that the confusion had been cleared up and that he should apply again.

But, two months later, the irate Kempton Park man is no closer to getting his ID.

“I am disappointed with Mr Tshwete. He said I need to apply for a smart card and it will be issued in two weeks. I did apply, on June 3, and it was declined,” Khoza said.

“I went for a second time on July 4 and was advised to apply for a green ID book.”

When approached for comment on Khoza’s latest stumbling block, Tshwete indicated that the “illegal immigrant” block marker was permanently lifted on June 1.

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Andrew Stegmann

‘Dead’ voter must approach Home Affairs – IEC

Durban – The 75-year-old voter who was turned away from the voting station at George Campbell Technical School in Durban on Wednesday morning after the system reflected that he was deceased, must urgently approach the Department of Home Affairs, the IEC said.

“It is the Department of Home Affairs that is custodian of [the] population register. [The] Electoral Commission checks voters against the population register,” IEC deputy CEO Dr Nomsa Masuku said.

Friedrich Roggenkamp had registered to vote on the last registration weekend at the same station and has voted several times.

“I can’t vote because I’m dead… they think I’m dead,” he told News24 earlier.

“I have always voted, look at all my stickers,” he said, pointing to other registration marks in his ID book.

Roggenkamp said that, come the next elections, he would probably not vote and intended returning to his home country of Germany, after living in South Africa for almost 30 years.

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Andrew Stegmann

Jobless Zim graduates rise up against Mugabe

Harare – Protests against President Robert Mugabe’s policies are on the rise in Zimbabwe, with shops and other businesses being forced to close down on Wednesday after police battles against demonstrators seeking to petition parliament and treasury against the currency and loss of jobs.

The protest action on Wednesday was the latest to disrupt economic activity and business operations after mass stay aways in June forced companies to close down.

On Wednesday, the #tajamuka pressure group and #thisgown grouping of unemployed graduates protested around Harare’s business district. But the peaceful nature of the protests was short-lived after police broke up the marchers as they approached parliament, firing teargas and beating up everyone around.

“Things are now out of hand and we have had to close down; looting could start and our equipment and property can get damaged,” said a waitress at a restaurant in central Harare.

Other businesses that had to close down include petrol filling stations such as Puma and Total Zimbabwe. The protestors grabbed chairs and empty crates as well as debris such as stones and bricks and hit back at the police.

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