Monday, December 7, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
The office of the African National Congress (ANC) chief whip said yesterday that former Speaker of Parliament Frene Ginwala's comments on salary hikes for government officials display "astounding" and "blinding pettiness".
This was in response to a media report in which Ginwala criticised President Jacob Zuma's approval of salary increases for government officials. Zuma decided on the 7% increase after an independent commission for the remuneration of public office bearers recommended an 8% increase. The ANC chief whip's spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said that "whatever drives Ginwala...to see poor leadership out of [Zuma's] political boldness remains a mystery".
Ginwala had told the Sunday Times that the failure to reign in ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema and accepting salary hikes were signs of the poor quality of leadership shown by Zuma and his government.
Regarding the storm around the appointment of Menzi Simelane as National Director of Public Prosecutions, Ginwala said that she "fully" stood by her report which was critical of Simelane's handling of Vusi Pikoli's suspension.

United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said yesterday he is optimistic that the December 7 to December 18 climate conference in Copenhagen will produce an agreement that all member States will sign. "We have the right political spirit," Ban said.
He added that UN member nations have recognised the conclusions of the scientists on the UN climate panel. "Climate change is real, and it is happening now at an even faster pace than we believed just a few years ago".
Meanwhile, a joint editorial published in newspapers in 45 countries says that humanity faces a profound emergency and unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet.
Fifty-six newspapers said that they were taking the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice to implore world leaders to "make the right choice" at the UN climate talks in Denmark. The editorial says that politicians in Copenhagen have the power to shape history's judgment on this generation. It urged politicians to agree the essential elements of a fair and effective deal and a firm timetable for turning it into a treaty, saying that next June's UN climate meeting in Bonn should be their deadline.

Back home, South Africa yesterday offered to slow the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions by 34% by 2020, conditional on a broader international agreement and financial aid.
The presidency said that this level of effort enables South Africa's emissions to peak between 2020 and 2025, plateau for approximately a decade and decline in absolute terms thereafter. South Africa would lower its carbon emissions, largely from burning coal, to 34% below expected levels by 2020 and around 42% below current trends by 2025.
But the pledge is conditional on the offer of more funds and technological help from rich nations. Recession-hit developed countries have failed to come up with concrete offers of financial assistance in the run-up to the Copenhagen meeting that begins today.
South Africa's chief climate negotiator Alf Wills said that the country's offer is its first quantification of how it plans to stop its greenhouse gas emissions from rising.

Also making headlines:
Guinea is on edge after an attack on its junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara.
The African National Congress launches its Veterans League.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille's meeting in Winterveldt is disrupted by an unruly crowd.
And, Namibia's ruling South West Africa People's Organisation wins a landslide poll victory with 75,27% of the vote.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.