18
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
South Africa, which receives a quarter of its crude from Iran, is holding almost daily discussions with the United States, EU Union and Iran about reducing its purchases and is “confident” a deal can be struck to avert US sanctions, a senior energy official said on Thursday. Washington, which with the EU is putting pressure on Iran to end activities that they believe may be a front for nuclear weapons research, has threatened to penalise the banks of countries that do not significantly cut oil imports from Iran. But Africa's biggest economy, which has suffered fuel shortages in…
17
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Gugile Nkwinti is considering asking the cabinet to consider extending the 1913 land claim cut-off date in certain circumstances. Land belonging to the descendants of Khoi and San in Eastern Cape and Western Cape was forcibly taken from them long before 1913, he said. Nkwinti, in his department's budget speech in parliament, said the call by descendants of the San and Khoi for the consideration of claims for the return of land taken before the 1913 Land Act came into effect was "fair and just". "Their land in what is now Western Cape and…
16
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
Nairobi - Sub-Saharan African nations will not be able to sustain their accelerated economic growth unless they eliminate hunger, the UN said in a report on Tuesday. Many sub-Saharan economies are growing fast but the growth rates have not translated into significant hunger reduction, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. Sub-Saharan Africa's growth, this year expected to be more than 5%, is accelerating faster than the rest of the world excluding China and India, according to UNDP statistics. According to the agency's African Development Report, nearly 218 million people on the continent are undernourished and 55 million children are malnourished, a…
15
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
Rapidly rising food prices are undermining poor South Africans' human right to be free from hunger, asserts the DA in research released on Monday. The party said in a statement that the cumulative effect of global price increases had depressed agricultural production in South Africa. "Very steep hikes in administered prices" were putting sufficient quantities of safe and nutritious food out of reach of the majority of South African households. "Survey data indicate that 52% of households experience hunger, while a further 33% are at risk as a consequence of declining purchasing power," the party said. "Food price hikes of…
14
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
At this week's G8 summit, leaders have a great opportunity to take the lead in tackling poverty. It is tempting to wonder how much of an appetite Barack Obama will have for dinner on Thursday evening. That afternoon, ahead of the two-day meeting of the G8 at Camp David, which kicks off on Friday, he will announce what is currently being called “the new alliance to increase food security and nutrition”. It’s an initiative by members of the G8 designed to tackle hunger in half a dozen African nations, which has been the subject of intense inter-governmental back…
11
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
The ANC yesterday bowed to pressure on the Protection of State Information Bill, proposing a raft of changes in response to sustained criticism of the proposed law. These included a compromise on a public-interest defence as a way of protecting journalists and whistle-blowers who risked prison sentences to expose wrongdoing. ANC members of the National Council of Provinces' ad hoc committee processing the bill proposed that section 43, which criminalises revealing classified information, make an explicit exception for cases in which "such disclosure reveals criminal activity". Under the proposal, this section would also enable those charged with disclosure to argue…
10
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
The decision to "shift" crime intelligence unit head Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli to another position did not resolve problems within the SA Police Service, AfriForum said on Wednesday. "Moving Mdluli is not the answer. The problem must be dealt with head-on and not moved around," spokesman Nantes Kelder said in a statement. Earlier, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa told the National Assembly during debate on his budget vote that Mdluli's new position would be determined by acting national commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Allegations of mismanagement of funds and nepotism had been levelled against Mdluli. Kelder called for Mdluli to…
09
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
Afrikaners are worried about the state of governance in South Africa, ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa said on Tuesday. "There was a feeling that leadership needs to shape up and address the issue of good governance," Phosa said after a meeting between the ANC and 19 Afrikaans bodies in Johannesburg. He said other issues of concern related to service delivery, especially at local government level, security in urban and rural areas and the position of the Afrikaans language and culture. Afrikaans groups at the meeting included the Afrikanerbond, the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, the Voortrekker Monument, the Afrikaanse…
08
May
2012
Published in
Breaking News
Only two of ANC Youth League’s top five national leadership posts are now filled, and its political influence may be declining. IT EMERGED at the weekend that the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League’s national executive committee has decided to relieve treasurer Pule Mabe of his post. This was confirmed on Monday as the committee also resolved to "demand" that the league’s leaders be reinstated, and said it continued to see Julius Malema as its leader. This position appears to defy the ANC’s authority, since the party’s national disciplinary committee of appeal has expelled him. After this…
