Friday, November 6, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises chairperson Vytjie Mentor says that the Eskom board has the habit of "running amok" at critical moments.
Responding to reports that Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga has resigned, Mentor says that at critical moments like this, the board fails to consider "a whole lot of issues".
The board and the management appeared two weeks ago before Parliament, said Mentor, and in the annual report presented, it was revealed that Maroga had received a R2-million addition to his salary. "There was no indication that [the board] was not happy with his performance," she said.

Determined not to get a "raw deal", Africa has emerged with "the most unified voice" compared with other negotiating blocs at the current United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations in Barcelona.
African negotiators said that they would "boycott" discussions regarding the Kyoto Protocol at the Barcelona negotiations until developed countries make real commitments on greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Lesotho Ambassador in Germany and coordinator and chair of the Least Developed Countries within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Makase Nyaphisi said that Africa is not stalling discussions, and will not do so at Copenhagen. "But we must have an equitable, transparent and fair deal. Countries must stop holding their cards to their chest, and let us know what they are willing to do," he stressed.

Newly appointed Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says that there is not much she can do about the controversial arms deal.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Pretoria yesterday, Madonsela said that the protector's office has a prescription period of two years, which makes it difficult to probe old elements of the deal. "If it is a new area in the arms deal that hasn't been prescribed, then we would do that," she said.
Madonsela said that the protector's job is to make sure the State is held accountable. But more importantly it is to "ensure that whatever has been taken away through the improper conduct by the State is restored".

Also making headlines:
Médecins Sans Frontières says that shrinking HIV/Aids funding will reverse the gains made in the fight against the disease.
Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica says that South African greenhouse gas emissions will only start decreasing from 2035.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa expects its lending to rise by 15% to $1,5-billion.
And, the National Prosecuting Authority says that South African mercenaries freed in Equatorial Guinea will not be charged again for their role in a failed coup plot.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.