POLITICS: What the Sunday papers say

Tenders, the rocket fuel of South African politics, feature strongly this week as The Sunday Times confirms it was politics, not crime, that underpinned the arrest of Mzilikazi wa Afrika. There is an investigation into tenderless leases, a bill that could break the nexus between politics and patronage - but probably won't - and trouble on the horizon for another government tenderpreneur.

The Sunday Times has the inside track on the week's biggest political story and confirms what many guessed: There is mounting evidence that political pressure lay behind the arrest this week of Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika, despite furious denials from police top brass. A senior police official close to the case admitted yesterday that police were feeling the heat from ANC politicians to crack down on wa Afrika, because of his reporting

In a follow up to the story that may have triggered the case against Wa Afrika, the paper says the R500-million deal to move police top brass to a building owned by a politically connected billionaire - without a public tender process - is likely to face two probes.The Public Protector's office this week confirmed it was investigating the lease, while the corruption-busting Special Investigating Unit has launched one of its "biggest ever" probes into irregular government leases worth billions of rands.

Tenders - the rocket fuel of South African politics - are in focus in the Sunday Independent, which reports that the fight over resources between comrades has thrust Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula into the centre of a multi-million-rand World Cup tender war. The contract was cancelled after Eastern Cape Safety MEC Gloria Barry allegedly told National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele that Nationwide was linked to Mbalula - through his subordinate Mdu Ntuli, who is an ANC Youth League member from KwaZulu-Natal, the newspaper says here.

City Press leads with detail on an old story that President Jacob Zuma's cabinet has introduced legislation that would make it illegal for party office bearers down to the level of provincial secretaries and treasurers to also hold public service jobs. The paper says the bill will face opposition, however, because it could break the nexus between political power and patronage.

The newspaper also has a rare interview with Winnie Mandela on the ANC's failure in 16 years to significantly improve the lot of women. These stories are not yet online.

An exclusive poll in the Sunday Times says Julius Malema is alienating more and more people in South Africa's major cities - and most believe he has not been adequately punished for his excesses. Another report says that Malema, buoyed by the support of the ANC's top leadership, has challenged his opponents to throw their lot in with Cosatu.

The Sunday Independent says Malema has regained the upper hand in the ANC Youth League's power struggle following Luthuli House's intervention to restore discipline within the fractured league. Now Malema sits comfortably with the majority of the league's provincial executive committees firmly behind him.

Draft legislation to get rid of labour brokers and to strengthen the protection of workers has been found wanting by the cabinet and sent back to drafters for another try, says Rapport. The newspaper says it has seen the early drafts and reports that ministers and their advisers realised they were drawn up to match a political ideal, but would not pass a legal test.