Tuesday, September 1, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema described himself as a defender of women who would never promote hatred towards them, when he testified in the Equality Court in Johannesburg yesterday.
The Sonke Gender Justice Network laid a complaint of hate speech, harassment and unfair discrimination against him, following a remark he made at the Cape Peninsula Technikon in January, regarding Jacob Zuma's rape accuser. The network complained that his comments perpetuate rape myths.
Malema's lawyer Tumi Mokwena succeeded in having the unfair discrimination component dismissed, but Magistrate Colleen Collis felt there was a prima facie aspect to the hate speech and harassment part of the complaint. Malema was forced to testify, and argued that his comments were taken out of context.

The Group of 20 (G20) nations meeting next month in Pittsburgh, should recommit to providing stimulus to ensure that the global economy recovers in 2010, while also starting to plan stimulus exit strategies.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) first deputy MD John Lipsky said that the IMF's forecast of an expansion in the global economy of 2,5% next year, after shrinking 1,4% this year, assumed that G20 economies will continue to implement the stimulus measures they promised.
The IMF has warned that withdrawing stimulus packages too soon, could disrupt next year's expected recovery.

Two pieces of legislation that dramatically increase smoking fines and crack down on tobacco companies have been signed into law. The Acts make it illegal for adults to smoke in a car where there is a child under 12, and pave the way for picture warnings such as diseased lungs on cigarette packs. Fines for smoking or allowing smoking in a nonsmoking area have increased with immediate effect.
National Council Against Smoking director Dr Yussuf Saloojee said that the new laws will have dramatic, important and far-ranging effects on public health and the tobacco industry's marketing activities.

Also making headlines:
The South African National Defence Force is to dismiss soldiers involved in last week's violent protest.
Minister of Communications, Siphiwe Nyanda, says that South Africa will release a broadband policy soon.
The Films and Publications Amendment Bill, described as ‘flawed' by critics, is signed into law.
And, diplomats at United Nations climate change talks in Geneva, hope to improve climate data and aid poor communities affected by global warming.
That's roundup of news making headline today.