https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / Podcasts RSS ← Back
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Embed Video

Daily podcast – April 9, 2014

9th April 2014

SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

Font size: -+

April 9, 2014
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Carina Borralho.
Making headlines:
 

DA Parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko says the security cluster seeks to use the Nkandla report as a scapegoat.

Advertisement

The IMF downgrades South Africa’s growth outlook amid strengthening global recovery and robust African growth.

And, France calls Rwanda’s claims that it was complicit in the 1994 genocide 'disgraceful'.
 

Advertisement

The security cluster of ministers' call for further clarity on the public protector's report on Nkandla implies they are seeking a "scapegoat", Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the government communications and information system said in a statement that the ministers had studied the report on the costly security upgrades to President Jacob Zuma's private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, but they needed more information and clarification from Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

Mazibuko said this was nothing more than a last-ditch attempt to protect Zuma from being held accountable. She said the cluster had ample time to respond to Madonsela on her report and claimed they tried to delay the report.

Mazibuko said the time had come for Parliament to consider the matter and she had, from the outset, asked for a special ad hoc committee to be formed to consider the report and investigate Zuma.


The International Monetary Fund (or IMF) has again lowered its growth outlook for the South African economy and has listed the country among those large emerging economies whose growth outlook has been downgraded as a result of domestic policy weaknesses, tighter domestic and external financial conditions and/or investment and supply constraints.

The other countries grouped with South Africa in the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook are Brazil, Russia and Turkey.

The IMF lowered its 2014 growth outlook for Africa’s second biggest economy – after Nigeria’ gross domestic product rebasing – to 2.3%, having previously forecast that the economy would expand by 2.8%. Similarly, the 2015 outlook was lowered to 2.7% from over 3% – South Africa grew by only 1.9% in 2013.

South Africa continued to decelerate, the WEO stated, owing to “tense industrial relations in the mining sector, tight electricity supply, anemic private investment, and weak consumer and investor confidence”.

 

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Tuesday accusations by Rwandan officials that France was complicit in the genocide that killed 800 000 people were "disgraceful". This was the firmest rebuttal since a row broke out between the countries.

France – an ally of the Rwandan government that ruled before the genocide – did not take part in Monday's 20-year commemoration after rebel-turned-president, Paul Kagame, renewed charges of Paris' "direct role" in the killings at the weekend.

Valls said in a speech to parliament that he couldn’t accept the disgraceful accusations that suggest France could have been complicit in a genocide in Rwanda when its honour was to always separate fighting factions.

While Paris has acknowledged mistakes in its dealings with Rwanda, it has repeatedly dismissed accusations it trained militias to take part in the 1994 massacres.


Also making headlines:
 

Retailers chase reward in booming but volatile Africa.

The World Health Organisation says the West African Ebola outbreak is expected to take two to four months to contain.

The US urges Burundi to drop planned constitution changes to avoid returning to the 'dark days' of civil war.

And, Tunisian Islamist and secular parties have begun a parliamentary debate on an election law, the final step before setting a ballot date to complete a transition to democracy in the country

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.
 

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE

To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comment Guidelines

About

Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Engineering News
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa

Read more

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options
Free daily email newsletter Register Now