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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has immediately released a US$20 million second tranche loan to Malawi.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed today the first review of Malawi’s economic performance under a program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The Board’s decision enables the immediate disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 13.02 million (about US$20 million), bringing total disbursements under the program to an amount equivalent to SDR 26.04 million (about US$40.1 million).
In completing the review, the Executive Board approved a request for a waiver of the nonobservance of the end-September 2012 performance criterion on the level of net domestic assets of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM). The three-year ECF arrangement for Malawi in the total amount of SDR 104.1 million (about US$156.2 million) was approved on July 23, 2012 (see Press Release 12/273).
Following the Board’s discussion, Mr. Naoyuki Shinohara, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:
“Drought in parts of Malawi lowered overall growth in 2012, and threatened the subsistence of nearly 2 million people. A spike in food prices and the continuing depreciation of the kwacha contributed to a surge in inflation. The external economic environment has also been more difficult than anticipated. Despite these challenges, performance under the Fund-supported program has been satisfactory.
“Tight monetary and fiscal policies are needed now to stabilize the exchange rate and curb inflation. Accordingly, the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has appropriately discontinued a temporary facility for uncollateralized lending to banks and increased the policy rate in early December. Fiscal policy is also playing a role, including with the reactivation of the automatic adjustment mechanism for fuel prices which has cut untargeted subsidies that mainly benefit the better off. The bulk of the additional external financing provided by Malawi’s development partners will allow the government to increase outlays on social protection programs without increasing domestic borrowing, although the authorities are well advised to save a portion of those grants to build up international reserves from very low levels.
“The RBM has stepped up its oversight of banks with a view to addressing emerging threats to the stability of the financial system. It is paying particular attention to ensuring that banks facing persistent liquidity problems implement restructuring plans that put them back on a sound financial footing.
“The authorities are making good progress in implementing a wide range of structural reforms. On the budget side, reforms focus on strengthening tax and customs administration, as well as improving public financial management though greater expenditure control and the prevention of arrears. The authorities have also committed to removing regulatory hurdles to improve the investment climate and foster sustained and broad based growth.”

IMF EXTERNAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

Public Affairs			Media Relations
E-mail:	publicaffairs@imf.org		E-mail:	media@imf.org
Fax:	202-623-6220		Phone:	202-623-7100

Motlanthe to resign as SA Vice President

South Africa deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe will resign from government and leave the way clear for Zuma to bring Ramaphosa in as deputy president immediately, rather than waiting until 2014.

This comes after  president Jacob Zuma beat Motlanthe  at the ANC convention  by 2983 votes to 991 in a secret ballot. At the same time, Cyril Ramphosa received 3,018 votes from delegates which makes him one of the most popular if not the most popular individual in the ANC right now.

Kgalema Motlanthe probably made the most moving speech of his career when he announced he would not stand for the NEC. Motlanthe who had dedicated 15 years as an ANC office-bearer, 10 as Secretary-General and 5 as Deputy President, thanked the party’s substructures and South African citizens for giving him a chance to serve them.

Delegates gave him a rousing standing ovation.

Kgaleme told them: “ANC is an epitome of democracy. And so we must continue to champion democracy in our country and the world over.”

He said South Africa must de-racialise and rid itself of sexism.

“We must attend to economic challenges of the poverty, inequality and unemployment and use the mandate given by our people.”

Even though he was the loser, he endorsed the new leadership, saying: "The leadership was elected by the entire membership of the African National Congress."

He ended off by thanking Zuma for allowing him to speak even though protocol didn't allow him to.

However the ANC has downplayed Kgalema's decision to step out of government.

" He is not lost to the movement, our former leaders are never lost to us, party spokesperson Jackson Mthembu was quoted by the Mail & Guardian on Tuesday night 

Zimbabwe to regulate internet journalism

ZIMBABWE has threatened to regulate internet such as China to prevent on line publications such as www.zimdiaspora.com being read in the country, it has been learnt.

Media, Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu said there should be appropriate regulations to the internet and other new media platforms as they have a potential to cause strife in society.

Minister Shamu said it was important to instill in citizens and the journalism fraternity progressive values anchored on clear appreciation of national history and cultural heritage so that they appropriately exercise citizen journalism.

The minister said this during a meeting with Deputy Minister of the State Counsel Information Office of China, Mr Qian Xiaoqian, who is in the country for a familiarisation visit.

Minister Shamu said there should be leverage on social media for the people’s good.

“However, it is also important to note that if not wisely utilised and appropriately regulated, these platforms can be a cause of strife in society.

“The so-called citizen journalism facet of the new media means everyone has the potential to disseminate information that is not sometimes inaccurate or undesirable, information which may indeed be in total disregard of the national interest and lead to uncalled for internal strife in a country,” said Minister Shamu.

“Self-censorship, which is a cornerstone in sensible dissemination of information in both the traditional and new media, assumes an abundance of progressive thought in society.”

The minister commended the good bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and China saying Beijing has always supported Harare in the wake of the onslaught by the West.

Zimbabwe, said Minister Shamu, recognised Beijing as the legitimate government of mainland China and Taiwan.

“We support your country on the One China Policy and we continue to plead with our sister countries in the Sadc region to do the same. China should safeguard its territory and national unity by preventing Taiwan from being separated from the mainland. We support your principle of one country, two systems,” he said.

Mr Qian said China would continue to support Zimbabwe, particularly in condemning the illegal sanctions against Harare.

“We will continue calling for the sanctions removal,” he said.

Mr Qian and his delegation latter visited the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings and held a meeting with parastatal’s management led by Mr Happison Muchechetere.

They also visited Zimpapers where they held a meeting with the company’s editors and senior executives led by the group chief executive officer, Mr Justin Mutasa.

Zuma has been re-elected as leader of the ANC

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma  has been re-elected leader of the ANC, a victory that virtually guarantees him another 5 years in power.

He received 2,983 votes against Kgalema Motlanthe’s 991.

 Zuma's win at the ANC elective conference tees him up for another seven years as head of state.

The more than 4,000 ANC delegates crammed into a marquee in Bloemfontein erupted into wild cheers when Zuma was confirmed in the top party post. A beaming Zuma then walked on stage to shake hands with his colleagues and members of the party’s election commission..

 More results:

Ramaphosa

Businessman Cyril Ramaphosa was elected the ANC's new deputy president on Tuesday.

He received 3018 votes against Tokyo Sexwale's 463 and Mathews Phosa's 470.

He would take over from current deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.

Motlanthe was nominated for the position, but withdrew his candidacy on Monday.

Mbete
Baleka Mbete retains her position as ANC chairwoman after being re-elected at the ANC's Mangaung conference on Tuesday.
She received 3010 votes. Current deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise was the other candidate, but only received 939 votes.

Mantashe

Gwede Mantashe will retain his position as secretary-general of the African National Congress.

He was re-elected at the ANC's 53rd national conference in Mangaung on Tuesday, with 3058 votes.

He defeated Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, who got 901 votes. Mbalula was nominated by those calling for a change of leadership

Duarte

Jessie Duarte has been elected deputy secretary-general of the African National Congress.

She stood for the position uncontested after the incumbent, Thandi Modise, withdrew her candidacy on Monday.

Baleka Mbete retains her position as ANC chairwoman after being re-elected at the ANC's Mangaung conference on Tuesday.
She received 3010 votes. Current deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise was the other candidate, but only received 939 votes.
Mkhize
KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairman Zweli Mkhize will take over the position of party treasurer general from Mathews Phosa.
Mkhize was chosen at the African National Congress's national elective conference on Tuesday, with 2988 votes. He defeated Gauteng ANC chairman Paul Mashatile, who got 961 votes.
Mashatile was nominated by those calling for a change of leadership.

Nelson Mandela Was a High Ranking Communist

Despite decades of Nelson Mandela denying that he was an official member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) during his Soviet-backed war on the Apartheid government, evidence uncovered recently by British historian Stephen Ellis shows otherwise. The new research confirmed that not only was the African National Congress (ANC) leader a member of the SACP, he may have actually been a senior official working with the party’s Central Committee.

Still, for 50 years, while admitting that he was influenced by Marx and other communist luminaries, Mandela has denied — in public, at least — that he was an actual member of the Communist Party. But now, documents discovered at the University of Cape Town by Stephen Ellis, a professor based at the Free University of Amsterdam, completely contradict Mandela’s bogus claims.
Among other evidence, Ellis found minutes from a secret SACP meeting of top leaders in 1982. The papers document a high-level Communist Party functionary’s discussion about Mandela having joined the SACP around 20 years earlier. That would mean he joined in the beginning of the 1960s, probably 1961 or 1962, well before he was prosecuted for, among numerous other crimes, membership in the outlaw party backed by some of the most ruthless tyrants on the face of the Earth.
“There was an accusation that we opposed allowing Nelson [Mandela] and Walter [Sisulu, a fellow activist] into the Family [a code word for the party],” Communist leader and SACP Central Committee member John Pule Motshabi was quoted as saying in the minutes. “We were not informed because this was arising after the 1950 campaigns [a series of street protests]. The recruitment of the two came after.”
Experts including Ellis, who first identified and publicized the documents, said it was some of the most compelling evidence to date proving that Mandela was actually a member of the SACP. However, some analysts attempted to dismiss the new finds as insignificant, portraying the former South African president’s party membership as a mere alliance of convenience that was supposedly necessary to overthrow the existing government.
Had the proof been more widely disseminated decades ago, though, it would have been much harder for the Western establishment, including the U.S. government, to openly join forces with communist tyrants to support the controversial figure in his often-brutal guerrilla war. Indeed, if the world had only been paying attention, the signs would have been obvious to even a casual observer.
Today, if the truth had been known back then, South Africa might be a very different place, too. As The New American reported recently in a series of articles citing some of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject, the so-called “Rainbow Nation” is currently facing the threat of both genocide and full-blown communism as white farmers are massacred and ANC-SACP politicians plot more robbery.
“Communist parties are dogmatic organizations. They never move anyone up to the central committee unless they know them to be die-hard Communists,” explained anti-communist analyst Daniel Greenfield in a piece for FrontPage magazine. “If Mandela was in the central committee, then he was a longtime member in good standing who had proven himself.”
Of course, Mandela has long been accused of being a member of the SACP, even by multiple party officials, going back about five decades. His wife Winnie was famous for being a rabid proponent of “necklacing.” The brutal punishment, used against fellow blacks who disagreed with the ANC, involved placing a burning tire filled with gasoline around a victim’s neck that killed slowly and painfully.
During Mandela’s prosecution for sabotage and treason, prosecutors also produced a document written by the controversial figure in which he actually boasted of being a Communist Party member. On being released from prison, Mandela proclaimed at a rally: “I salute the South African Communist Party for its sterling contribution to the struggle for democracy.” He appeared (and was photographed) at multiple rallies with SACP boss Joe Slovo in front of a giant hammer and sickle.
The ANC and its terrorist wing, founded and led by Mandela, were dominated by the Communist Party as well, and the influence goes back decades. “No major decision could be taken by the ANC without the concurrence and approval of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party,” former ANC and SACP leader Bartholomew Hlapane testified before the U.S. Congress before being executed by an assassin. Support from the communist terror regimes ruling China, Cuba, and the Soviet Union for Mandela, his ANC, and the SACP is also a matter of historical record.
Today, unsurprisingly to analysts who were paying attention two decades ago, the ANC rules South Africa in an unholy alliance with the SACP and an umbrella group for labor unions. Numerous top officials, including recent ANC presidents, have publicly admitted to also being members of the SACP. South Africans of all colors are now paying the price.

BY  Trevor Loudon

Nelson Mandela still in hospital

As the sun sets the anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela will clock a eleveth day in undisclosed  hospital in the capital Pretoria, South Africa.

Mandela who was being treated at 1 Military hospital in Pretoria was later transferred  to  undisclosed private hospital where he was operated after being found with gallstones which went successful.

However the  Presidency on Thursday declined to confirm a report that former president Nelson Mandela was not being treated in 1 Military Hospital  as initially thought.

 “The Presidency has been consistent that (Mr Mandela) is in a hospital in Pretoria and avoided identifying the precise hospital for reasons regarding the privacy for Madiba and his family,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said.

He said this was to ensure his treatment was administered in the most conducive conditions for his recovery.   

“For those reasons we have avoided disclosing the precise hospital.”  

A large contingent of journalists from local and international media have been camping outside the 1 Military Hospital since Saturday.Earlier on Thursday President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela was "recuperating" in hospital.
 

    Mandela has been hospitalized since Dec. 8 for tests and later medical treatment for a recurrent lung infection.

President Jacob Zuma and delegates at a convention for the African National Congress political party honored Mandela on Sunday in song.

Mandela was a leader of the ANC and served as the nation's first democratically elected president under the party's banner.

Mandela is revered for being a leader of the struggle against racist white rule in South Africa. He served one five-year term as president before retiring from public life.