Friday, May 15, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni said yesterday at the presentation of the bank's monetary policy review, that while South Africa's economic growth will remain lacklustre this year, there are tentative signs of a recovery in the global economy.
South Africa's situation is difficult, he said, but hopefully the fiscal measures undertaken will help. Analysts expect more rate cuts to help boost growth, with the economy already in its first recession in 17 years.
Mboweni said that inflation remains "sticky" above the 3% to 6% band, largely owing to higher government-set price increases. He emphasised that analysts and the public should not expect interest rate cuts every month.
The Reserve Bank reports that indicators suggest the economy, and the manufacturing sector in particular, will remain under pressure "for some time".

In other news, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille yesterday named a shadow Cabinet for the national government in the interests of "one-on-one correspondence between the government and the opposition."
In naming her Cabinet, Zille, who has been involved in a row with the African National Congress over her all-male executive in the Western Cape, said that quotas have nothing to do with gender issues in South Africa.
Zille stressed that the DA focuses on candidates' fitness for leadership positions.
The Western Cape Premier and opposition leader said that South Africa has a "narrative" of quotas taking precedence over all other considerations. "This is not the DA's narrative," she said. Quotas have nothing to with gender equity and the advancement of women. According to Zille, it has to do with women who are owed political favours.

New International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane said yesterday that the Dalai Lama is welcome to visit South Africa. She added, however, that nobody may abuse the country's pro-human rights stance for their own agenda.
South Africa's foreign policy is "underpinned by human rights", but, Nkoane-Mashabane said that this cannot be misinterpreted in the interests of certain quarters.
In March this year, the Dalai Lama was refused a visa to attend a peace conference linked to the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The government conceded that it had acted in the interests of preserving relations with China.
Nkoane-Mashabane explained that the name change of the old Foreign Affairs department is a bid by government to ensure a holistic approach to foreign relations, which reflects a developmental agenda.

Also making headlines:
The ANC Youth League says that it will not back down on its comments on Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.
Azanian People's Organisation leader Mosibudi Mangena says that small political parties should not be disregarded as they promote democracy.
Somalia's opposition leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys says that the United Nations' envoy is "destroying" the country.
And, Angola asks for help in clearing landmines from its decades-long civil war, in which South Africa played a part.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.