Wednesday, May 13, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Kelly Farthing.
Making headlines:
The African National Congress and its allies reacted with outrage yesterday after Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille accused President Jacob Zuma of potentially exposing his wives to HIV, after unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman.
Zille's comment was in response to Congress of South African Trade Unions Western Cape secretary Tony Ehrenreich's questioning of the composition of Zille's provincial executive, made up mostly of white males.
Zille's remarks were meant as a defence of the DA's policy of appointing the most qualified people for a position, regardless of colour or gender.
Her comments about Zuma as a "womaniser" and "sexist", however, provoked blistering personal attacks on Zille in response.
The ANC said her remark was offensive, and Cosatu called it "disgraceful", while the ANC Youth League said Zille had no moral authority to question President Zuma, among other, more biting, phrases.

In regional news, Madagascar's government has denied that army-backed President Andry Rajoelina told foreign envoys he would not stand in the island's next Presidential poll.
Diplomats said Rajoelina - who took power after former leader Marc Ravalomanana quit in March under pressure from the army - had vowed not to run in the Presidential vote. This was supposedly one of the key principles of a neutral, peaceful and consensual transition.
But a senior aide to Rajoelina said that Africa's youngest incumbent President had said no such thing.
The African Union said last month that all parties had agreed to hold a Presidential election by the end of 2009, but the next day the Madagascan government refused to guarantee that a vote would be held by then.

Back home, former President FW de Klerk said in London yesterday that he was optimistic about a Jacob Zuma Presidency.
Addressing the Royal Commonwealth Society, De Klerk said that Zuma's Cabinet choices were a good sign. The appointment of former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel as the head of the National Planning Commission, would give him "the status almost of a Prime Minister", he said.
De Klerk also said that the appointments of Pravin Gordhan and Tokyo Sexwale to Cabinet were promising.
De Klerk, who played a key role in South Africa's smooth transition to democracy, said he was optimistic that Zuma would "confound the prophets of doom".

Also making headlines:
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe says that the South African Communist Party's Blade Nzimande was included in President Jacob Zuma's Cabinet because he was a ‘revolutionary'.
Newly appointed Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale checks for conflicts of interest owing to his Mvelaphanda involvements.
The US professes to be "deeply concerned" by Kenya's coalition wrangles.
And, thousands flee Mogadishu and the death toll hits 113 as political violence in Somalia's capital continues.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.