January 10, 2013
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

Political party Freedom Front Plus says President Jacob Zuma must say what he wants changed in the Constitution.

US officials call for an end to South Sudan violence, threatening to cut aid.

And, the North West legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts will probe Premier Thandi Modise’s expensive car purchase.

South Africa’s Freedom Front Plus political party said on Thursday that President Jacob Zuma should publically state what changes he wants to make to the Constitution.

The party was referring to comments made by Zuma in KaNyamazane, near Nelspruit, as part of the ANC's 102nd birthday celebrations on Wednesday.

FF Plus parliamentary leader Dr Pieter Groenewald said changing the Constitution was an important aspect of any election. All voters in South Africa had to know what changes Zuma wanted to make so they knew for which party to vote, he said.

Groenewald also said changing the Constitution had important consequences for prospective investors, and if the president kept quiet about the changes, he could frighten away prospective investors.
 

US officials said on Thursday that South Sudan risked losing hundreds of millions of dollars in US aid if its government and rebel leaders did not end a wave of violence in the fledgling democracy formed with Washington's strong support.

Three weeks of fighting, often along ethnic lines, is ringing alarm bells in Washington over the prospect that the conflict could spiral into full-blown civil war, spawning atrocities or making South Sudan the world's next failed state.

US President Barack Obama's administration has pledged $50-million in humanitarian aid for the people of South Sudan.

However, government officials and senators said that hundreds of millions of dollars in support to the government could be stopped if the violence continued, as Washington pushes South Sudan's government, rebels, neighbouring states and other allies to tamp down the conflict.

The North West legislature has set up a sub-committee to probe the procurement processes followed in purchasing a R1.3-million car for Premier Thandi Modise, it said on Thursday.

The legislature's Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts (or Scopa) condemned the amount spent on the 750i BMW, acknowledging that the economy was under pressure, legislature spokesperson Namhla Luhabe said in a statement.

"... We are aware that there is still a need to standardise the cost containment prescribed in the Ministerial Handbook, but that should not constitute for the reckless spending used by the executive," she said.

Reacting to reports earlier this week about the purchase of the car, the Democratic Alliance said it was in conflict with austerity plans announced by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his mid-term budget speech.

Also making headlines:
 

Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafik is interested in running for the Egyptian presidency.

A UN peacekeepers boost in South Sudan is likely to be complete within two months.

And, regional leaders have summoned Central African Republic's transitional assembly in Chad to decide the fate of interim President Michel Djotodia.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.