February 24, 2014
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

The labour case against the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union is postponed.

The US condemns the violence and terror attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria.

And, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance rubbishes the e-tag claims. 
 

A contempt of court application brought against the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (or Amcu) was postponed in the Labour Court, Anglo American Platinum (or Amplats) said on Monday.

The court on Friday ordered that Amcu deliver responding affidavits by February 27 and the application was postponed to March 5, said Amplats spokesperson Mpumi Sithole.

Sithole said Amcu had had a week to file responding papers prior to Friday's case but failed to do so.

According to a newspaper report, Amplats wants 39 leaders of Amcu to be fined or jailed for contempt of court.

This includes Amcu's leader Joseph Mathunjwa, national treasurer Jimmy Gama and others. Amplats accuses Amcu of flouting picketing rules that were handed down by the court on January 24.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday condemned last week's attacks in Nigeria by the Islamist group Boko Haram and underscored a commitment to help Nigerian authorities crack down on the militants the US deems a terrorist organisation.

Last Sunday, Boko Haram gunmen killed more than 100 people in the village of Igze, spraying homes with bullets, detonating explosives and burning down dozens of houses.

Kerry said the US supports Nigerian authorities' efforts to investigate these cowardly acts and to bring the perpetrators to justice. He added that the US remains "a committed partner" of Nigeria's government as it targets Boko Haram and associated groups.

South African National Roads Agency Limited (or Sanral) needs to be transparent on e-tag sales in light of the impression it was creating that motorists were "clamouring" to be tagged, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (or Outa) said on Monday.

On Sunday, Sanral challenged Outa's claim that motorists were not buying e-tags.

However, spokesperson Vusi Mona said it was sitting with more than "1.2-million e-tags that have been taken up" and that between 30 000 and 45 000 people were registering each week.

Outa spokesperson John Clarke said that Sanral's number of 1.2-million e-tags 'taken up' was hogwash, and that the alliance was tired of Sanrals' "tit-for-tat" claims.

Outa wanted to know the exact percentage of e-tagged vehicles passing under the tolled gantries per day and for the month of February. The controversial e-tolling system was implemented across Gauteng freeways in December following a long court battle.

Also making headlines:

Eskom says South Africa’s power system is tight but manageable.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is expected to sign the controversial anti-gay bill, defying both Western donors and US President Barack Obama.

Guinea-Bissau postpones its long-delayed legislative and presidential election again to April.

And, Zimbabwe deports former US congressman Mel Reynolds over an expired visa.
 

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.