Tuesday, February 10, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
After a ruling by the Pretoria High Court yesterday stating that registered South Africans living abroad should be allowed to vote, the Freedom Front Plus will again go to court tomorrow. This is to apply for an interdict barring the Presidency from proclaiming the date of the national elections.
The party argues that if the President were to proclaim the election date, it would make it difficult for South Africans abroad to give notice of their intention to vote to the Independent Electoral Commission within the required 15 day timeframe.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa says that allowing South Africans living abroad to vote would be a "logistical nightmare". The administration involved in getting expatriates registered, as well as setting up facilities for them to vote overseas, could further delay the announcement of an election date.

In other news, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development says that the production of organic food offers an opportunity for farmers in poor States. This is because the demand for organic foods will keep growing despite the global economic crisis.
Unctad said that the resilient interest in ecologically friendly production represents an opportunity for developing nations, which produce and export a large share of the world's organic goods.
In Africa, where the Food and Agriculture Organisation reports that agriculture accounts for 57% of employment but just 11% of export earnings, Unctad said that ecological farming techniques could have an especially large impact.

In Southern African news, it is feared that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his rival Morgan Tsvangirai will appoint political allies to the new unity government. These allies lack the credentials needed to lure Western donors and investors to help rebuild the country's ruined economy.
Speculation is rife that Mugabe and Tsvangirai will appoint their close political lieutenants into a Cabinet whose major challenge will be to turn around an economy ravaged by the world's highest inflation rate.
Analysts say that the country needs a high profile economist or technocrat who commands international respect in a position of leadership. Neither side can afford to spend time forging political alliances when the Zimbabwean economy lies in ruins.

Also making headlines:
South African President Kgalema Motlanthe sends the SABC Bill back to Parliament.
World Trade Organisation members meet to assess signs of protectionism.
The United Nations reports more than 69 000 cholera cases in Zimbabwe.
And, African National Congress President Jacob Zuma's lawyers are expected to make representations to the National Prosecuting Authority today.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.