January 28, 2013.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.

Making headlines:

The Public Works Department says President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home wasn’t built with public funds.

Outgoing AU chief President Boni Yayi condemns Africa's response to Mali’s crisis.

And, UN chief Ban Ki-moon is expected to recommend intervention troops for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

State investigators said in a report on Sunday that public funds weren’t spent on building President Jacob Zuma a house in his home village Nkandla. The report sought to end one of the biggest scandals to hit the South African president before elections next year.

Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, who led the so-called "Nkandlagate" inquiry, said there was no evidence that public money was spent on Zuma's home or on any house belonging to him. He said the state paid R71-million for security upgrades at the complex and an additional R135-million was spent on "operational needs for state departments", including support staff, medical facilities and accommodation.

In the investigation by Nxesi's department, which was in charge of the upgrades, including installing bullet-proof windows and security fences. The report did, however, find irregularities in the awarding of the tenders. Nxesi said that officials at his department who were implicated would be investigated and held accountable.

The outgoing head of the African Union, Benin's President Boni Yayi, on Sunday criticised Africa's slow response to the Islamist insurgency in Mali.

Yayi said at a summit in Addis Ababa as he handed over the chair of the African Union to Ethiopia, that although Africa had the means to defend itself, when faced with a danger that threatened its foundations, it continued to wait.

This comes amid Africa’s struggle to contribute a meaningful ground force to the mission seen by foreign powers as a counter-strike against the threat of Islamist militants using Mali's remote Sahara region as a launchpad for international attacks.

He said the door was open for further troop pledges to help wrestle back control of northern Mali. He also thanked Paris for its intervention, which has seen French warplanes pound rebel positions and French ground forces alongside Malian troops recapturing several towns.

A senior United Nations official said on Friday that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would recommend to the UN Security Council that a peace enforcement unit be deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (or DRC) to take on the M23 rebels and other armed groups.

The intervention unit of a few thousand troops would aim to prevent armed groups from expanding territory in the resource-rich region by overpowering and disarming them. The unit would be contained within the existing UN force, known as the United Nations Stabilisation mission in DRC (or MONUSCO).

Diplomats and UN officials say that peace enforcement missions allow the use of lethal force in serious combat situations, while peacekeeping operations are intended to support and monitor an already existing ceasefire.

Security Council diplomats said that South Africa and Tanzania were among the countries that have been considered possible providers of troops for the peace enforcement wing of MONUSCO.

Also making headlines:

Liberated Malians begin celebrating as French-led forces clear Timbuktu of Islamist rebels.

Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi declares a state of emergency after anti-government protests kill dozens in key towns.

And, the arbitration case between Bombela and the Gautrain Management Agency may only be resolved in 2015.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.