January 16, 2013.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Gia Costella.
Making headlines:

ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa reviews his business interests.

The European Union is expected to speed up help for Mali’s government.

And, the ANC says Anglo American Platinum wants to divert business from South Africa.

African National Congress deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday he is reviewing his role in business to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest with his new role. He described his election to the post as "a life-changing event", but added that avoiding such conflicts should come naturally.

Ramaphosa, who is chairperson of the Shanduka Group among other business interests, denied that he represented business in the party's national executive committee.

Talking about problems facing the mining sector, he said while wages, living and working conditions had improved since apartheid, more still needed to be done to improve the lives of mineworkers.  He further reiterated that he would be willing to testify about the strike-related violence at Marikana before the Farlam Commission of Inquiry, should he be called upon to do so.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Tuesday that the union would speed up plans for a military training mission for the Malian army, as well as take other steps to help the country as it fights Islamist rebels.

Ashton said security threats stemming from upheaval in Mali extended to Europe, as the rebels were using territory they had seized for arms smuggling and drug trafficking.

A European diplomat said the EU had ruled out taking any combat role in Mali, but does plan to send military trainers to the area. EU foreign ministers are expected at an extraordinary meeting in Mali on Thursday to formally establish the training mission and to appoint French General Francois Lecointre as its commander.

The African National Congress said on Wednesday that global platinum miner Anglo American Platinum (or Amplats) wanted to divert its business from South Africa and send the country's mining industry "to the dogs.”

The company warned on Monday that it would axe 14 000 jobs in a major restructuring of its operations. The ruling party called the decision "cynical and dangerous in the extreme".

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said the ANC condemned the action taken by Amplats, which has exploited and mercilessly created conditions to eliminate 14 000 jobs, of which 13 000 are in the Rustenburg area.

Mthembu further called for Minister of Minerals and Energy Susan Shabangu to call an urgent industry meeting to have companies that wanted to mothball mine shafts surrender their licences. He said that such licences could be put on a public auction for new owners who were still hungry to mine, to put them to good use.

Also making headlines:

United Nations agencies say Zimbabwe will require at least  $131-million this year for food aid.

The World Bank urges developing countries to safeguard economic growth.

And, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina says he won’t run in the May elections in an effort to give the nation a fresh start.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.