December 4, 2012.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

Business Unity South Africa says Eskom’s tariff increase could be significantly lower.

US General Carter Ham says the African Union assault on al Shabaab is an instructive model for the future.

And, DRC government forces say the M23 rebels are still too close.

Business Unity South Africa (or Busa) says that the average yearly tariff increase of 16% being sought by power utility Eskom under the third multiyear price determination period (or MYPD3), which will run from April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2018, could be reduced to 10.8% and remain cost reflective.

Busa’s statement, has been released amid growing warnings from business, labour and civil society groups that further above-inflation power price increases will negatively affect a number of sectors, particularly mining and manufacturing. The statement is the outcome of research it commissioned ahead of public hearings to be held by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

The organisation also stressed that further savings could have been found if Eskom had provided more detailed information suggesting that the tariff increases outlined in Eskom’s MYPD3 application would have significant negative long-term implications for households, industries and the economy at large.

The head of US Africa Command said on Monday that the African Union war against al Shabaab in Somalia this past year has left the Islamist group "largely in a survival mode" and is instructive for confronting the region's extremist groups in the future.

General Carter Ham, who is responsible for US military ties with Africa, told a forum at George Washington University that he was concerned about growing cooperation among Islamist extremist factions across the region. However, he also said Washington favoured "African solutions for African problems."

He said Africa Command's top priority was countering the growth of extremist organisations across the continent, from al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate based mainly in Somalia, to Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Government forces re-established control over the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Goma on Monday after rebels withdrew, but a senior official said the insurgents were only a few kilometres away and still posed a threat.

North Kivu Governor Julien Paluku, who had left Goma when rebels took it on November 20, said some M23 units were much closer to the city than had been agreed.

M23 spokesperson Amani Kabasha told a news agency that some rebels were in Monigi, which is on the road north to Rutshuru, about 3 to 5 km away. However, he said that the fighters there would form part of an M23 detachment that would join government troops and a neutral international force to be stationed together at Goma airport – one of the points agreed on in the withdrawal deal.

M23 has called for talks between Congolese President Joseph Kabila and political opponents, the release of political prisoners and dissolution of Congo's electoral commission, which oversaw Kabila's re-election in 2011 in a flawed vote judged by foreign observers.

Also making headlines:

South African women’s rights are at risk as President Jacob Zuma pursues tribal chiefs with the Traditional Courts Bill.

AfriSam signs Eskom’s 49M pledge to reduce its energy consumption.

And, Mali rebels and government are expected to convene for their first face-to-face talks on Tuesday.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.