Friday, April 24, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
Ballot counting in South Africa's fourth democratic election should be completed by midday today, but interim results show that the African National Congress has already achieved a landslide victory, propelling party leader Jacob Zuma into the Presidency.
The only major question mark still hanging over the poll is whether the ruling party will retain its two-thirds majority. The ANC is currently sitting on 66,92% with some votes still outstanding.
The Democratic Alliance is clearly set to emerge from the election stronger, with its vote share staying consistent at just on 16%, which is up from the 2004 election. The fledgling Congress of the People is lying close to 8%.
The Independent Electoral Commission says that it will only announce official results and the voter turnout at the weekend, after the interim results have been audited.

In world news, environment Ministers from the Group of Eight industrial countries and major developing economies, have put the final touches on an agreement to slow the alarming rate of extinction of species around the world.
The "Syracuse Charter" is aimed at extending a deal to slow biodiversity loss by 2010.
Italian Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo says that the defence of biodiversity can play a key role in the battle against climate change.
Almost every country in the world agreed in 2002 to a "significant reduction" in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. The European Union has set an even tougher goal, of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. But scientists warn that extinctions are gathering pace.
By some calculations, extinction rates are running at 1 000 times their natural pace owing to man's influence: three species disappear every hour and up to 55 000 species die out each year, according to United Nations figures.

Back home, the South African Reserve Bank's chief economist says that the country's gross domestic product is expected to contract in the first quarter of 2009.
Speaking at the Wits Business School, Monde Mnyande states that short-term business cycle indicators have weakened significantly in recent months, almost guaranteeing a further contraction in the first quarter of this year.
South Africa's economy contracted by 1,8% in the fourth quarter of 2008, and a second quarter of decline would place the country in a technical recession.

Also making headlines:
The ANC celebrated victory last night at its Johannesburg headquarters, as it passed the two-thirds majority mark.
Anti poverty activist Bob Geldof urges the International Monetary Fund to use its increased gold profits to aid Africa.
And, South African election results show that the ANC's lead is growing slowly but steadily.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.