April 24, 2014
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.

Making headlines:
 
President Jacob Zuma calls for an increased fight against corruption in the private and public sectors.

The International Monetary Fund says sub-Saharan Africa faces heightened risks of capital outflows.

And, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says the mismatch between the SANDF roles and budget must be urgently addressed.

President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday that corruption must be fought in both the private and public sectors.

Speaking at a manifesto dinner at the Voortrekker monument in Pretoria, he said the ruling party’s manifesto showed that it was serious about fighting corruption, both in the public and private sectors, as well as with good governance.

He said the ANC planned to further close the leakages in procurement processes, as well as prevent public servants from being involved in business with government.

He also told the gathering he was honoured to interact with members of the Afrikaner community, saying he realised there was poverty within these communities. Zuma also promised the people of Pretoria West that they would be assisted as other poor communities were, without being racially discriminated against.

 

The International Monetary Fund (or IMF) said on Thursday investment in infrastructure and natural resources would continue to underpin economic activity in sub-Saharan Africa, although capital outflows sparked by tighter global financial conditions pose a risk to growth.

Inflation looks set to remain contained in most countries, it said.

The IMF said in its latest Regional Economic Outlook that "the main downside risk to this generally positive baseline scenario is the risk that growth in emerging markets might slow much more abruptly than currently envisaged."

The IMF forecasts economic growth of 5.5% for sub-Saharan Africa this year, up from 4.9% last year.
 

Commitments made over the past 16 years, following the 1998 Defence Review, have resulted in a mismatch between what was expected from the South African National Defence Force (or SANDF) and the resources allocated to it, causing a decline in most aspects of the force’s work, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Wednesday.

Addressing the media in Pretoria, she said this “mismatch” had been one of the key findings of the 2014 Defence Review, which was approved by Cabinet last month. She added that the review stated that “the defence budget must meet the financial requirements that arise from the roles and mission sets assigned by government to the defence force”.

Mapisa-Nqakula noted that, currently, about 1.1% of South Africa’s gross domestic product was allocated to the SANDF, which was “inadequate” and “below the international norm of about 2% for a developing country at peace”.

She added that, while South Africa was seen as a developing country at peace, its responsibilities on the continent justified that its defence expenditure be set at slightly above 2% of GDP.

Also making headlines
 

UN Security Council members consider sanctions on South Sudan's warring parties.

Communications Minister Yunus Carrim says the costs of communicating must be reduced.

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says Government has made headway in reducing road carnage based on preliminary road safety campaign figures.

And, Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande outlines plans for a new R1-billion medical university at the University of Limpopo, located in Ga-Rankuwa.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.