Politics In Brief
	Published:Aug 10, 2008
Article Tools   Print  E-Mail Save and Share 'Milestone' reached in Zimbabwe talks Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's spokesman said yesterday that talks between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change had reached a milestone, but he declined to comment on whether a power-sharing deal was imminent. "This is an important milestone that has been registered in the inter-party dialogue," said Mugabe spokesman George Charamba. — Reuters NPA, Thint agree on date to disagree The application for a permanent stay of prosecution by ANC president Jacob Zuma's co-accused, French arms merchant Thint, is set to be heard in Pietermaritzburg at the end of November, but the NPA and Zuma's lawyers are still wrangling over the date for his own application. It is understood that the National Prosecuting Authority wants Zuma's application to be heard on November 27 and 28, while his lawyers favour December 8, the remand date in Zuma's criminal case. The prosecution is suggesting a tentative trial date of April next year. — Paddy Harper One in four SA women 'worrying more' A quarter of South African women are more worried about their personal safety than they were six months ago, according to a Markinor survey of more than 3000 women earlier this year . According to the survey, African women appeared to be the most confident about the future, followed by coloureds. However, white and Indian women were slightly less optimistic. — Karen van Rooyen Skwatsha's stabber 'will still vote ANC' The man accused of stabbing Western Cape ANC heavyweight Mcebisi Skwatsha believes the party's leaders have forsaken its people. But Ndikho Tyawana, 30, claims he will still vote for the ANC . "If I don't, I would feel like I'm betraying myself and people like Joe Gqabi who fought for the liberation of the country," he said. Tyawana, who is out on bail of R1000, is due back in court on August 25. — Buyekezwa Makwabe Tyawana who was a member of the ANC Youth League's Branch Executive Council has since been expelled. "I heard about it [his expulsion] while listening to Umhlobo Wenene-a Xhosa medium a radio station about two hours after I got bail... The only letter I did get was the one that summoned me to the disciplinary meeting... I didn't think that there were still kangaroo courts in the ANC," he said Tywana claimed he had never met Skwatsha before the incident. "I do not know [Skwatsha] personally, just as a leader in the party," he said. Tywana's bother, Chris, a spokesman for the Eastern Cape Provincial Government said he had worked alongside Skwatsha during the struggle. He said he was shocked at his "humble" brother's arrest. "[My brother] is a person that applies his rational thinking. As much as he an extrovert politically, and out spoken; he has an introverted personality." Chris drove home on Thursday to Worcester to support his brother during his court appearance. "We're behind him as the family," he said. Tywana, from Zwelethemba in Worcester, said people in the area are poor and are in need of leaders who are willing to empower them. These people fought alongside provincial leaders during the struggle but they have been forgotten, he said. The claimed leaders have "bribed" the poor with small jobs so they would keep quiet and "not be angry any more". But this has caused great unhappiness in the community. The case in back in court on the Worcester Magistrate's court roll on August 25. Tyawana is currently out on R1000 bail.

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