Friday August 26, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Jessica Hannah.

Making headlines:

The African National Congress intends wrapping up work on the Protection of Information Bill next week and put it to the vote in the National Assembly. Political parties, however, remain at odds over key aspects of the new State secrets legislation.

Cecil Burgess, the chairperson of the ad hoc committee drafting the bill, said on Thursday that MPs had had enough time to debate and that, If they couldn’t reach consensus, it would put it to the vote.

Impatience to finalise the fractious drafting process has been palpable in recent days, as political parties reached an agreement on narrowing the application of the bill. The move was welcomed by activists and academics.

But, on Thursday, they stumbled into a fresh disagreement, which the opposition described as a major setback. It relates to the test to be applied for classifying information as confidential. MPs had agreed earlier that potential threats to national security would be the only grounds for keeping information secret. However, the additional grounds of a threat to security, without any further qualification, found itself into the latest draft.

Cabinet yesterday moved to quash speculation that South Africa's rigid labour legislation might be eased in the interests of job creation following pronouncements on the matter from various quarters.

Briefing the media on Thursday following Cabinet's regular Wednesday fortnightly meeting, government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi said Cabinet wanted to "place on record" that the labour department was the lead department on all labour matters.

As far as Cabinet was concerned, the only labour law amendments being considered at the moment were those being processed by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant through the National Economic Development and Labour Council processes.

And, while Libya's neighbours rush to recognise rebels who ousted Muammar Gaddafi, regional powerhouse South Africa is blocking the release of Tripoli's frozen millions to them.

The policy reflects Pretoria's strong ties to Libya's former strongman that date back to the anti-Apartheid struggle, and frustration that Western intervention, not African mediation under the African Union, has again proven decisive on the continent.

South Africa has for weeks blocked a request by the United States to the UN Security Council to make hundreds of millions of dollars in Libyan assets available for civilian and humanitarian purposes.

South Africa – a leading member of the African Union – says it is concerned that funding the rebel government implies recognising Libya's National Transitional Council, something not yet done by the AU.

Also making headlines:

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe says that the rate of new HIV infections continues to outpace prevention efforts.

South Africa may put restrictions on the sale of land to foreigners as it aims to transfer ownership to blacks as part of a drive to correct racial imbalances in land distribution.

And, Minister in The Presidency Responsible for the National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel says South Africa will benefit substantially should the climate funding target be met.
 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.