Monday, March 8, 2010
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
President Jacob Zuma should declare his financial interests for the sake of the law and transparency, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said yesterday.
DA Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip stated that Zuma, as a public servant, needs to be able to demonstrate that his decisions are not influenced by his personal circumstances.
Trollip added that Zuma, as the State President, is required by law to declare his financial interests. All members of Cabinet, including the President, are required to do so according to a code of ethics published under the Executive Members' Ethics Act of 1998, which was signed by Zuma himself in 2000 when he was Acting President.
However, Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that there is a "lack of clarity" over whether Zuma will have to declare, because of the interpretation of the language in the Act.

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said yesterday that the country should invite international observers and a peacekeeping force to ensure that its next national election is free and fair.
Addressing a party rally outside Harare, Tsvangirai told supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party that Zimbabwe could guarantee that the violence which marred previous Parliamentary and Presidential elections is avoided, by accepting observers and a peacekeeping force.
In the controversial 2008 elections, there was no peacekeeping force. President Robert Mugabe allowed poll observers from the Southern African Development Community and the African Union but refused those from Western countries, saying that they were biased against his Zanu-PF party.
Tsvangirai charges that Mugabe has remained in office by using violence and rigging elections, including the 2008 Presidential run-off, which the MDC boycotted because of violence.

African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius Malema might be stealing from the poor through tax evasion, while claiming to be propoor, said Independent Democrats (ID) leader Patricia de Lille yesterday.
De Lille said that a whistleblower had told her that neither Malema nor the businesses linked to him were tax compliant.
The ID leader said that she submitted questions to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, asking for the details of Malema's companies' tax status and whether they complied with tender requirements with regard to having a tax clearance certificate.

Also making headlines:
Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene says that the South African Reserve Bank's mandate of targeting low inflation will remain in place.
South Sudan radio stations claim that they have been raided ahead of the upcoming elections, after one station broadcast an interview with an election campaigner.
Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande condemns a newspaper's publishing of a confidential government report reviewing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
And, Niger's military rulers release five of six former Ministers detained in last month's coup, but will keep them under watch pending a wide ranging corruption probe.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.