Tuesday, September 22, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Bradley Dubbelman.
Making headlines:
President Jacob Zuma has criticised attempts to open the African National Congress (ANC) 2012 succession debate as "ill-conceived and premature". Speaking at the Congress of South African Trade Union's (Cosatu's) tenth national congress, Zuma said that the ruling party has decided to develop a code of conduct for lobbying ahead of the electoral conference in 2012. The party "cannot deviate and divert [its] mind from delivery," he said.
This comes after the ANC Youth League, as well as some alliance partners commented on the 2012 ANC leadership contest. Zuma added that the promotion of a succession debate so prematurely is a "mischievous diversion and must be avoided at all costs".
Also speaking at the congress, both Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini and South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande dismissed rumours of tension within the ruling alliance, stating that the relationship had never been stronger, despite differences of opinion on certain issues.

African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka says that the government money pumped into the global economy to keep it from crashing late last year should not be withdrawn too fast. He is in favour of a cautious attitude to removing stimulus packages.
Africa's economy boomed in the last decade as economic reforms, combined with rising demand for its natural resources, created ideal conditions for growth. The global financial crisis hit the continent hard, however, once demand for its commodities and energy started to dry up. Annual economic growth is expected to be in the 2,8% range, less than one-half of the rate forecast before the crisis began.
Kaberuka said that this week's Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh should look at an inclusive recovery. A rising stock market is not the only sign of recovery, he added, as poor countries are left out if only that measure is used to gauge success.

African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema pleaded ignorance in his hate speech case in the Equality Court yesterday, saying that he was merely a "layman" whose highest qualification was a matric, quoting from a high court judgement when he commented on Jacob Zuma's rape accuser earlier this year.
"If you want to question what we said, you must question Judge [Willem] van der Merwe, because we were quoting him," Malema said of the high court judge who acquitted Zuma of rape in 2006.
Malema faces charges of hate speech and harassment from the Sonke Gender Justice Network, for saying at an election rally in January that Zuma's rape accuser had "had a nice time". The Youth League leader added that he was not talking about a rape survivor, but about a person who laid false charges against the ANC president.
The case has been postponed to November 2.
Also making headlines:
Business Unity South Africa CEO Jerry Vilakazi says that Russia is a key economic partner for South Africa.
Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula says that the US raid in Somalia that killed a senior al Qaeda militant, raises concerns about "lone ranger" behaviour.
President Jacob Zuma calls for economic inequalities to be rectified.
And, police confirm an assault case against African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema.
That's roundup of news making headlines today.