Thursday December 9, 2010

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

The National Treasury has given South Africa a positive assessment of its domestic financial sector. The assessment was done by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Report on Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC). Spokesperson Kershia Singh said that the report was compiled from a detailed assessment taken in March of South Africa's adherence to international banking, insurance and securities markets' regulatory standards in terms of their Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP). The ROSC assessors found the supervision of South African banking, insurance and securities markets to be of a high standard and that the regulatory framework is generally sound, as seen in the ability of the South African financial sector to weather the global financial crisis relatively well. She added that the ROSC found that South Africa had made substantial progress in addressing recommendations made in the earlier FSAP.

The South African government has urged President Laurent Gbagbo to respect and abide by declarations that regional bodies have issued with regard to the second round of elections in the Côte d'Ivoire, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said on Wednesday. DIRCO said in a statement that the South African government calls for restraint and further urges the Ivorian leaders to promote national reconciliation and unity as the uppermost priority during this period in the Côte d'Ivoire. The statement was issued after government took note of the final communiqué of Heads of State and government of the economic community of West African States on the Côte d'Ivoire held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Department of Public Works says that the director-general (DG) in the department, Siviwe Dongwana, has been suspended. Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde said that the DG's suspension stems from charges relating but not restricted to insubordination, dereliction of duty, failure to discharge official duties and bringing the department into disrepute. The suspension is with full pay. Mahlangu-Nkabinde emphasised Dongwana's innocence until he was proven guilty. Sam Vukela, the deputy DG of corporate services in the department, had been appointed acting DG for the next three months, she added.

Also making headlines:
Correctional Services national commissioner Tom Moyane has announced a reshuffle of his executive management.
A United Nations (UN) review of the Côte d’Ivoire's November 28 election shows that incumbent Laurent Gbagbo had no grounds to dispute results giving rival Alassane Ouattara victory, the head of the local UN mission said on Wednesday.
And, South Africa's monetary policy stance has been appropriate and the banking system is fundamentally sound, said the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.