February 6, 2013.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Schalk Burger.

Making headlines:

Statistics South Africa says the country needs a policy discussion on the stagnant unemployment rate.

US envoys urge the lifting of the UN arms embargo on Somalia.

And, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu calls on mining to throw its full weight behind the National Development Plan.

Statistics South Africa (or Stats SA) statistician-general Pali Lehohla says South Africa needs to hold a policy dialogue regarding its high unemployment rate, which has remained stagnant for more than a decade.

He was commenting on the release of Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (or QLFS), which revealed that the country’s unemployment rate improved marginally to 24.9% in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with the unemployment rate of 25.5% in the third quarter.

Lehohla stated that the numbers prompted the question of how effectively South Africa’s policies were addressing unemployment.

Stats SA population and statistics deputy director-general Kefiloe Masiteng told media at the launch of the latest QLFS that the decline in employment was mainly driven by the 48 000 decrease in the number of employed persons in private households, the 41 000 loss in the trade sector and the 18 000 fall in the number of employed persons in the transport sector.

The US is urging fellow members of the UN Security Council to agree to demands by the government in Mogadishu to lift the arms embargo on Somalia. The embargo has been in place for the past 21 years.

The US push comes after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the 15-nation council should consider lifting the arms embargo to help rebuild Somalia's security forces and consolidate military gains against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants.

A US official said Washington was merely backing a request the Somali government and African nations have been making.  The official added that what the Somali government wants is a political signal, that they are now a sovereign government rather than a trusteeship.

It wasn’t clear what a "political lift" of the embargo would entail, although diplomats said it may involve easing arms import restrictions on Somalia while ensuring that a strict monitoring mechanism remains in place.

Minerals Minister Susan Shabangu  has made a strong plea for the mining industry to throw its full weight behind the National Development Plan (or NDP). The plan is winning widespread national support and commits the government to the creation of a thriving South African mining industry in close partnership with the private sector.

Speaking at the Investing in African Mining Indaba, she urged the country to begin putting its best foot forward in anticipation of its selection to host what is being dubbed the World Cup of Geology, the upcoming thirty-fourth International Geological Congress, which will showcase the African continent’s geological treasure trove in Cape Town in 2016.

Shabangu also said that government was fully conscious of the reality that mineral development couldn’t happen unless the private sector invested its capital.  She said there was room for both private and public returns, as these are interdependent.

The State’s direct involvement would be through the State-owned mining company, African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation, which would hive itself off from the State’s Central Energy Fund by mid-year.

Also making headlines:

Tuareg rebels have extended control in Mali's northeast and occupied the town of Menaka.

Zambia summons ex-president Rupiah Banda for questioning in a graft probe.

And, African and Western countries’ support grows for a UN peacekeeping force deployment in Mali.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.