Tuesday, November 24, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Brad Dubbelman.
Making headlines:
Africa has not benefited from its links with rich nations and should ensure that economic interactions with others are not one-sided, said South African Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel yesterday.
Patel told a conference on the continent's relations with China that Africa would continue to pursue relations with the US and Europe, but that the "centre of geoeconomic gravity" was shifting to Asia and Latin America.
There are significant gaps in South Africa's economic trajectory, some of which have not been addressed in its relationship with the West making a wider range of investors into African economies a necessity.
Patel added that African governments should prioritise their own development needs when entering into investment deals with countries like China.

Despite a projected average shortfall of 40% in water supply globally, by 2030, water scarcity could be "sustainably and affordably" mitigated, according to a report from the 2030 Water Resources Group.
The report, entitled ‘Charting our Water Future: Economic frameworks to inform decision-making', points out that, based on average economics growth scenarios with no efficiency gains, global water requirements would grow to 6 900-billion cubic metres by 2030, compared with the current 4 500-billion cubic metres. This amounts to an average 40% increase above the current, accessible, reliable water supply. However, one-third of the world's population, mostly those in developing countries, could face a water deficit of up to 50%.
The 2030 Water Resources Group says that there is reason to believe that water will be an important investment theme for public, multilateral and private financial institutions in coming decades.

US President Barack Obama has honoured a group of women who confronted Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe with the annual Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award, saying that they had defied a dictator.
Speaking at a ceremony for Magodonga Mahlangu and the organisation she leads, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, Obama said that the women had shown the people of Zimbabwe that they could undermine their oppressor's power with their own strength.

Also making headlines:
Government watchdog, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, wants former Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour recalled after shock corruption allegations are revealed.
Zimbabwean Movement for Democratic Change official Roy Bennett's lawyer says that his trial for weapons possession and banditry is based on false evidence.
Congress of the People president Mosiuoa Lekota says that genocide claims over former President Thabo Mbeki's handling of HIV/Aids are irresponsible.
And, better-than-expected gross domestic product statistics for the third quarter show that South Africa is out of recession.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.