April 23, 2014
Making headlines:
 

Corruption Watch calls for police to probe tender irregularities by the South African Social Security Agency.

The White House is 'horrified' by the massacre of hundreds of people in South Sudan.

And, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa receives the Economic Freedom Fighter’s advert complaint.
 

Anti-corruption watch dog Corruption Watch said police should probe a tender awarded by the South African Social Security Agency (or Sassa) to Cash Paymaster Services (or CPS).

"Corruption Watch will urge the police to undertake an investigation into allegations of bribery surrounding the Sassa contract," executive director David Lewis said in a statement.

On Thursday, the Constitutional Court ordered Sassa to initiate a new tender process for the payment of welfare grants, but said in the meanwhile CPS must continue to carry out its obligations.

To achieve this, the court suspended its declaration of that contract as invalid.

The court also imposed a structural interdict that Sassa appoint a new bid evaluation committee and report back on each stage of the tender process.

The White House on Tuesday called the massacre of hundreds of civilians in South Sudan an abomination and called for an end to the cycle of violence there.

The United Nations said on Monday that rebels slaughtered hundreds of civilians when they seized the South Sudan oil hub of Bentiu, hunting down men, women and children who had sought refuge in a hospital, mosque and Catholic church.

However, rebel spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang denied responsibility for the slaughter, blaming government forces for the killings.

White House spokesperson Jay Carney said "the White House was horrified by reports out of South Sudan that fighters aligned with rebel leader Riek Machar massacred hundreds of innocent civilians last week in Bentiu. Rebel troops overran Bentiu, the capital of the oil producing Unity State, on Tuesday.

Carney said both President Salva Kiir and Machar must make clear that attacks on civilians are unacceptable, that those responsible for violence on both sides must be brought to justice "and the cycle of violence that has plagued South Sudan for too long must come to an end."

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (or Icasa) has received a complaint from the Economic Freedom Fighters (or EFF) after a party election advert was rejected by the SABC.

Icasa spokesperson Paseka Maleka said the Authority had received a complaint from EFF and that it was "still looking into the matter".

Earlier on Tuesday, the public broadcaster denied that it had banned the EFF's advert. SABC spokesperson Kaiser Kganyago said the broadcaster didn’t ban the advert but had rejected it. He denied claims that the SABC rejected the advert because it came from the EFF.

Kganyago said the broadcaster was just being consistent with regulations. He further said the EFF, like any other political party, signed the code of conduct with the IEC that says it will not incite violence while the advert goes against the code.

Also making headlines

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency says rhino horn stock-piles worth over $5.2-million have been stolen from a South African game park office.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame says it’s too early to say whether he will seek a third term as head of the east African state.

And, Libya starts its voter registration for general elections.
 

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.