Tuesday, July 14, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
The Congress of the People has said that leadership contests within the party are not divisions, but rather a democratic process of "internal party renewal". This comes after details of a reported leadership battle between Cope president Terror Lekota and his first deputy, Mbhazima Shilowa, were laid bare, in a leaked internal memorandum compiled by the party's former head of elections, Simon Grindrod, who, along with Cope's second deputy president Lynda Odendaal, resigned last week.
Following its weekend congress national committee meeting, Cope has called for a document to be developed outlining protocol around "leadership questions" in the party.
The party has decided to "coopt" former South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka into Cope's national leadership. There are reports that Mlambo-Ngcuka may return to Parliament, as a possible replacement for Odendaal.

World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy said yesterday that the global economic downturn is far from over, and that few countries have dismantled the dangerous protectionist barriers they imposed in response to the crisis.
In remarks to the WTO's 153 members, Lamy said that import penalties and other border restrictions are closing off markets and causing more difficulty in a time of depressed demand. These moves can be challenged in WTO courts if they persist.
While there has been no "outbreak of high-intensity protectionism" to date, Lamy has raised the possibility of a rash of trade disputes, retaliatory restrictions, and sanctions in response to unfair barriers that are kept in place.
He also warned that difficult economic times could persist, cautioning against excessive optimism. Although financial markets are showing signs of stabilising, the crisis is far from over, he said. This is particularly so in developing countries that are only now starting to feel the full force of the economic crisis on their trade and economic growth.

The Constitutional Court will rule on an application involving the recognition in law of all partners in a Muslim marriage, when it sits in Johannesburg tomorrow.The applicant has applied for confirmation of an order of Constitutional invalidity made by the Cape High Court, after she was denied claim to her deceased husband's estate, as she was in a polygamous Muslim marriage, and the existence of the marriage was disputed.The High Court declared certain sections of the Intestate Succession Act inconsistent with the Constitution, in that it makes provision for only one spouse in a Muslim marriage to be an heir. The Court also held that the exclusion of widows in polygamous Muslim marriages infringes their Constitutional rights to equality, religion and culture.In the High Court hearing, there was a call for the enactment of the Muslim Marriages Bill, which covers these concerns.
Also making headlines:
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane states that the Nonaligned Movement should strive for more unity in dealing with common challenges.
The South African Police Service denies any confusion over the make-up of the new Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, or the Hawks.
And, rioting stops a Zimbabwean Constitution-making conference.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.