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Daily podcast – April 16, 2014

16th April 2014

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April 16, 2014
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Chantelle Kotze.
Making headlines:

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says opposition parties will file an urgent application for the IEC chairperson to resign.
 
The development of the underground coal gasification industry gains momentum as government reveals its policy stance.

And, the EU agrees to train Mali’s police and extends its army training mission.
 

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Opposition parties will approach the Electoral Court over Independent Electoral Commission chairperson Pansy Tlakula's refusal to resign, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said on Tuesday.

Opposition parties had given Tlakula until the close of business on Monday to respond to their call for her to step down. Holomisa said she had not responded to them, which he said showed "how arrogant" she was.

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Parties calling for her resignation were the UDM, the Azanian People's Organisation, the African Christian Democratic Party, the United Christian Democratic Party, the Congress of the People, Agang SA and the Economic Freedom Fighters.

The Inkatha Freedom Party was originally named on the list of opposition parties but on Monday it said it was not part of the group. Agang SA and the EFF had both indicated on Monday that they were still supporting the call for Tlakula to resign.

 

Regulations governing the application for and awarding of prospecting rights and mining rights for underground coal gasification (or UCG) in South Africa have been included in the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act Amendment Bill. This should accelerate the near-term likelihood that the clean coal technology will be introduced into the national energy mix.

UCG enabled coal to be gasified within a coal seam, converting coal in situ into synthetic gas and enabling the access of “unmineable” coal seams.

While acknowledging that the inclusion of UCG in the Amendment Bill was a positive development for the technology – which was energetically supported by government – Department of Energy hydrocarbons chief director Muzi Mkhize said at a Fossil Fuel Foundation stakeholders meeting on Tuesday that the alignment of policy with the pace at which the technology was developed remained a challenge.
Department of Mineral Resources representative Aubrey Tshivandekano iterated this position, adding that more work would be done to further develop appropriate policy and “ensure adequate financial provision”.


The European Union agreed on Tuesday to send civilian advisers to train and advise Mali's police while extending by two years a mission to train the army.

The decisions, taken by EU defence ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg, are part of international efforts to stabilise Mali and extend the state's authority there, 15 months after France launched a military offensive to drive out Islamists who had seized control of northern Mali.

The French-led military offensive has broken the grip of the al Qaeda-linked militants across northern Mali but pockets of fighters still operate from desert and mountain bases.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement the new mission showed the EU's commitment to supporting reform in Mali and would "help build a lasting solution to Mali's security challenges".


Also making headlines:

Thousands flee a gun battle as Chad completes a withdrawal of soldiers from the Central African Republic.

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Trade Conditions Survey found that, while trade activity remained in positive territory during March, it was still restrained.

And, a hearing by the Complaints and Compliance Committee on the DA's advertisement complaint case against the SABC was adjourned, and is expected to resume on Wednesday at 6pm.
 

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.

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