December 5, 2012.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Gia Costella.
Making headlines:

Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll draws thunderous applause as she commits to a South African solution.

Mali’s government, Islamists and separatists agree on peace talks.

And, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe says the party is ‘more than ready’ for Mangaung.

Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll said at the Gordon Institute of Business Science conference on Tuesday that South Africa had succeeded in extricating itself from its grave political problems in the past and the country would succeed again in finding solutions in the wake of the horrific Marikana tragedy. However, she also also warned that South Africa had to restore stable labour relations and foster a business environment attractive to international investors.

She said that the Constitutional foundation that had been laid when South Africa transitioned from the “dark night of apartheid to the new dawn of democracy" would help the country disentangle itself from its post-Marikana crisis.

Carroll drew thunderous applause from a packed audience when she concluded her 30-minute address. She said that “the naysayers and the doomsdayers constantly forecast disaster, but in response, she says that South Africa had done it before and it would do it again”, by arriving at a post-Marikana solution to which her company was also totally committed.

A minister from mediator Burkina Faso said that Mali's government and the two rebel groups that took control of the northern half of the country in April, have met for the first time and agreed to negotiate an end to the crisis.

A delegation of Malian government officials met with representatives of the separatist Tuareg MNLA, whose initial rebellion was hijacked by al Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine. The Islamist militant group was also represented in the meeting in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou.

Burkina Faso foreign minister Djibril Bassoles said that the three delegations agreed on the need to create a framework for inter-Malian dialogue, which will be inclusive, and would involve representatives of the different communities living in northern Mali.

A statement from the three parties after the meeting said the representatives agreed to end hostilities. It also said that they also made a "commitment to Mali's national unity, territorial integrity, and a republican form of secularism as a prerequisite for the opening of the dialogue.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday that, except for two new provincial nomination conferences and some branch general meeting (BGM) reruns, the African National Congress is "more than ready" for its upcoming national conference.

The Western Cape and Limpopo branches will hold their provincial nomination conferences again on Wednesday, after both collapsed at the weekend.

This followed a decision by the party's national executive committee on Monday to finalise preparations for the national conference in Mangaung later this month.

If the provinces fail to hold successful conferences they will forfeit the right to nominate candidates that way, and will have to nominate candidates from the floor at Mangaung.

Also making headlines:

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga launches a coalition to challenge rivals in next year’s elections.

Peace talks with DRC rebels are expected this week.

And, South Africa’s Kruger National Park will launch special reconnaissance aircraft to combat rhino poaching.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.