July 16 2012

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane

Making headlines:

South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is the first female elected as head in the AU Commission.

Ministers in the Basics group say carbon emission targets lack ambition.

And, Auditor General Terence Nombembe has found that slush funds were used to pay for Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s wall.

South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was elected on Sunday to become the first female head of the African Union Commission. This ends a bruising leadership battle that had threatened to divide and weaken the organisation.

Dlamini-Zuma was appointed as the new head of the AU in Addis Ababa, which has been led until now by Gabonese diplomat Jean Ping who has been serving in the AU post since 2008. Ping was largely supported by French-speaking African states.

The appointment of South Africa's 63-year-old home affairs minister, who previously served as minister of health and foreign affairs, will add to the global diplomatic clout of an African state that is already the continent's largest economy.

Ministers from the Brazil, South Africa, India and China grouping raised concerns on Friday over the lack of ambition shown by industrialised countries party to the Kyoto Protocol through the quantified emission limitation or reduction objectives.

Brazil External Relations Vice Minister of Environment, Energy, Science and Technology Luis Alberto Figueiredo Machado said the Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitments outlined were “far below” what is required by science and their commitment to reduce their emissions by at least 25% to 40% of 1990 levels by 2020.

The Ministers called for the adoption of a ratifiable second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and its immediate implementation at the beginning of 2013.

Auditor General Terence Nombembe has found that secret service funds were used to pay for a wall built around Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa's private home. Nombembe said on Friday that  he however found no evidence that Mthethwa had been aware of the source of the funding and that the minister was therefore not implicated in a policy breach.

Nombembe called for better oversight by the minister to prevent any future abuses escaping his attention.

These findings were released three months after Mthethwa asked the Auditor-General to probe Sunday press reports that some two-hundred thousand rand from the slush fund was used to pay for the wall around his home in KwaZulu-Natal.

Also making headlines:

Syrian opposition party members report the massacre of 220 civilians.

A Zimbabwe court orders President Robert Mugabe to hold by-elections.

And, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsolaedi approves of a new mother and child centre opened in Hillbrow.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.