Tuesday, May 19, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
The attempt by the Congress of South African Trade Unions to block the listing of mobile phone group Vodacom on the JSE, hurt the local currency and revived investor concerns over President Jacob Zuma's close relations with the trade union movement and the South African Communist Party.
Following a last minute court ruling, the listing of Vodacom went ahead yesterday.
There is no doubt that Cosatu's bid undermined Zuma's efforts before the recent election to assure business and investors that there would be no policy shift towards the left wing once he took office.
By taking a strong stance on the Vodacom listing, the labour federation may be positioning itself to play a bigger role and could intensify its protest action against other corporates in the country. Cosatu has already spoken out against electricity utility Eskom's proposed tariff increase.

In other news, health officials say that African and other poor countries are far from prepared for a pandemic of H1N1, or swine flu. Developing nations will need help accessing life-saving drugs and vaccines.
At the World Health Organisation's annual congress, Tonga's Health Minister said that it was lucky that the H1N1 strain had spread first to affluent countries. This is because poor countries lack the medical staff, laboratories, drug stockpiles, and vaccine-making capacity to deal with the outbreak.
Nigeria's delegate said that African countries would face major difficulties responding to an outbreak of H1N1 flu, which may be especially threatening to people with HIV/Aids and other diseases.
The virus has spread to 40 countries and put the world on the brink of a pandemic. The WHO's labs have confirmed nearly 9 000 infections. The emergence of swine flu has raised questions about the supply of antiviral drugs and pandemic vaccines.
WHO director-general Margaret Chan says that an influenza pandemic is an "extreme expression of the need for solidarity before a shared threat".

Back home, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa will on Thursday name the head of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, which will replace the Scorpions.
Unlike the Scorpions, or the Directorate of Special Operations, the DIPC will not fall under the National Prosecuting Authority, but under the police.
It has been speculated that the job will go to Willie Hofmeyr, the head of the NPA's Asset Forfeiture Unit and Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions.
Hofmeyr was influential in negotiations between the NPA and lawyers for President Jacob Zuma earlier this year, when the defence team produced spy tapes suggesting political meddling in the case.
Initially opposed to disbanding the Scorpions, Hofmeyr was involved in drafting the law establishing the new unit, and headed the NPA component of a task team working out the details of transferring the old unit's workload to the new DIPC.

Also making headlines:
Fadila Lagadien resigns from SABC board.
Cape Judge President John Hlophe's counsel accuses veteran advocate George Bizos of bias in the Judicial Service Commission's handling of his case.
Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele declares receipt of his gift of a R1-million Mercedes Benz to President Jacob Zuma as controversy abounds.
Angola boosts its border patrol troops to stem the flow of diamond smugglers.
And, the European Union agrees in principle to extend its antipiracy operation in the Indian Ocean.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.