November 27, 2012.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.

Making headlines:

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says President Jacob Zuma should consider reprimanding the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Egypt’s opposition snubs President Mohammed Mursi’s plan to ease the decree crisis in the country.

And, a Nigerian Boko Haram member sends a letter offering dialogue.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says that President Jacob Zuma should consider reprimanding Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson for violating the executive ethics code.

Madonsela said the department's acting director general should recover about R150 000 that Joemat-Pettersson incurred for return flights for her two children and their au pair from Sweden to South Africa in January 2010.

Madonsela said that Joemat-Pettersson "displayed a blank cheque attitude towards public funds". Therefore, the conclusion that her conduct amounted to reckless use of public funds was improper and unethical, is accordingly justified

Democratic Alliance MP Lourie Bosman, who called for the probe, said Joemat-Pettersson should be fired.  He also said that the office of the Public Protector has confirmed that it will investigate further potential violations of the Executive Ethics Code by Minister Joemat-Pettersson resulting from what the DA considers to be her failure to effectively perform her ministerial duties.

Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will press ahead with a protest  today to demand the scrapping of a decree extending his powers. The protest rejects the Islamist's attempt to defuse a crisis that has brought violence back to Cairo's streets.

Mursi was accused of giving himself the powers of a modern-day pharaoh when he issued the decree last week that prevents legal challenges to any decision he takes until a new parliament is elected.

The crisis, the biggest since Mursi took office in June, has exposed deep divisions in the nation between Islamists and their opponents. It threatens to undermine Egypt's fragile economic recovery, signalled by an initial deal reached last week for a $4.8-billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

An alleged senior member of Islamist militant group Boko Haram has distributed a letter requesting talks with the government. This comes a day after a double suicide bombing blamed on the sect killed at least 11 and wounded 30 in an army barracks.

The letter was signed by, Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man known by local security sources to be a sect member but considered to be a moderate.

There was no immediate reaction from government officials, but President Goodluck Jonathan said that on November 18 no talks were going on with Boko Haram while they remained faceless and in the shadows. The handover of the letter came three days after Nigeria's army offered a 290-million naira bounty for information leading to the capture of 19 leading members of the sect.

Nearly 3 000 people have died violent deaths related to the conflict since the sect launched its uprising in 2009, according to a count by Human Rights Watch. Boko Haram has replaced militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta over that time to become the biggest security threat to Africa's top energy producer.

Also making headlines:

The ANC in the North West wants ousted mayor Maphetle Maphetle reinstated.

Public Works Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin says maintenance of public works projects are key to job creation.

And, the High Court in Pretoria says e-tolling of Gauteng's highways must be set aside due to insufficient public consultation.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.