Monday, August 24, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for a judicial investigation into a report handed to former President Thabo Mbeki three years ago, detailing the alleged knowledge by senior officials of shady oil deals with Iraq.
The Sunday Times reported that the Donen Commission, set up by Mbeki, had found that Kgalema Motlanthe, African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general at the time, was privy to material information related to money paid illicitly to the Iraqi regime. The newspaper reported that the commission also cast doubt on a submission by businessperson Tokyo Sexwale, that he did not know that a company of which he was codirector had paid money to Saddam Hussein's government, in violation of the United Nations (UN) oil-for-food programme.
The DA's chief whip Ian Davidson said that President Jacob Zuma should show the political will to establish the truth, by releasing the report and appointing a commission of investigation with more extensive powers.

An early agreement on a global trade deal is possible with more cooperation, and negotiators are working overtime for the success of the Doha Round of talks, says World Trade Organisation (WTO) deputy director-general Harsha Vardhana Singh.
The focus of the Doha Round has been an effort to "move together in various sectors," he said, so negotiators "are trying to move forward in a horizontal manner".

Key Trade Ministers will meet in New Delhi early next month to relaunch the talks, which collapsed in July last year at the WTO, largely through differences between the US and big emerging economies. Singh urged countries to stop blaming each other and try to cooperate for the success of the talks. The political emphasis is already there, says Singh, but "what we require is substantive senior level technical engagement". He adds that he thinks a 2010 conclusion of the Doha Round is achievable.

African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius Malema has once again called for a 50% government ownership in South African mines.This model is very successful in Botswana, he says, as "the government there uses the profits it generates from mines to subsidise essential services". Malema said that he does not understand why people overreacted when the Youth League raised the issue of the nationalisation of mines. "We are not calling for anarchy," he said. He explained that government needs to implement the 50% ownership in a way that will not undermine the current ownership of mines. For example, Malema said that government could offer the renewal of expired mining licences on condition that the owners work with the State.
Also making headlines:
The South African Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation plans to lodge a complaint with the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights over the treatment of 800-m star Caster Semenya.
In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF contingent walks out of a Cabinet review meeting over charges of election rigging.
And, Madagascar's leaders seem committed to powersharing ahead of a second round of negotiations in Maputo.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.