Friday, July 16, 2010

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Brad Dubbelman.

Making headlines:

President Jacob Zuma called on Thursday for "calm and unity" after reports that African migrants are fleeing South Africa for fear of fresh xenophobic violence after the close of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
A previous spate of antiforeigner attacks in 2008 cut into investor confidence and another wave could weaken Zuma and mar the country's image after its successful hosting of the World Cup.
Almost as as soon the World Cup final ended, concerns flared about a relapse of attacks on migrants from neighbouring States competing for scarce jobs. Police shifted from protecting foreign visitors at soccer stadiums to patrolling impoverished townships where migrants live, as officials vowed that there would be no repeat of the violence two years ago that killed 62 and left more than 100 000 people homeless. However, many migrants fear a rapid dissipation of feelings of African unity generated by the first World Cup on the continent, stilling South African accusations that foreigners are stealing jobs at a time of 25% unemployment.

Reduced funds from rich donor nations to treat HIV/Aids in poorer nations will ultimately lead to more graves and higher care costs for people who get sick while they wait for drugs.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said that political budget choices made by rich countries who are either freezing or cutting overseas aid money for HIV/Aids treatment programmes, are already starting to affect HIV/Aids patients and putting lives at risk. MSF's Sharonann Lynch says that these decisions will impede the progress of the fight against HIV/Aids for the years to come.
The medical charity published a report ahead of a major international conference on HIV/Aids, starting in Vienna on Sunday, in which it set out "the ten consequences of Aids treatment delayed, deferred, or denied." The report suggests that far from cutting back on treatment projects in high-risk developing regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, donors should recognise that investing now in earlier treatment for more patients would pay off later.
MSF campaign director Tido von Schoen-Angerer says that it is "a question of choice: if [rich countries] don't help us treat HIV/Aids, there will be more graves."

South Africa's State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) plans to inject R11,7-billion into ‘green' industries over the next five years, as part of a larger R100-billion disbursement plan between 2010 and 2015.
IDC CEO Geoffrey Qhena says that the "green economy" has emerged as a primary focus for the development finance institution (DFI), owing to its potential to create jobs and lower the carbon intensity of the South African economy.
But Qhena stresses that the DFI is adopting an holistic approach to green industries, and that it will seek to participate in the development both of green infrastructure and the manufacture of green technologies. This green industry thrust is aligned to the Department of Trade and Industry's industrial policy action plan and the emerging ‘New Growth Path', which is being driven by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel.

Also making headlines:

The African National Congress Youth League is going ahead with disciplinary proceedings against former Limpopo chairperson Lehlogonolo Masoga.
Guinea releases the son of former President Lansana Conte, held for the past 17 months on accusations of narcotics trafficking and named by the US as a drugs "kingpin".
Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda rejects a report that he was suspending his director-general as "false, spurious and malicious", following alleged disagreements over the issuing of tenders by the department.
And, the International Maritime Bureau reports that pirate attacks globally declined by nearly one-fifth in the first half of 2010, owing to a strong naval presence in the Gulf of Aden.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.