July 20, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

The National Economic Development and Labour Council will consider the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s application for a strike against corruption.

Burkina Faso reshuffles its government three months before elections.

And, City Power pleads with residents not to panic when experiencing recurrent disconnections. 

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (or Numsa) have filed an application for a strike against what it calls rampant corruption in the public and private sectors.

The union said it had filed its application with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (or Nedlac) earlier in July for the “socioeconomic” strike.
Nedlac was expected to consider the application today.

Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said corruption in the private and public sector was pervasive in South Africa and was a growing cancer that undermined existing jobs. He said it robbed working class and ordinary people of their socio-economic needs.

The union said it was also concerned about state-owned companies violating the preferential procurement policy framework which was intended to get government agencies to procure locally manufactured goods and services.

Numsa said various unions have indicated they would join in the protest action which would include marches, rallies, pickets, strikes and stay-aways by workers.

Burkina Faso interim President Michel Kafando has stripped the prime minister of the defence ministry as part of a reshuffle aimed at ensuring stability three months ahead of elections.

The reshuffle followed talks with political, religious and civil society leaders intended to resolve growing tensions between Prime Minister Isaac Zida and the top military brass.  

The tensions prompted the United Nations and African Union to warn against any interference in the West African country's transition ahead of elections on October 11.

Burkina Faso's elite presidential guard, in which Zida was formerly a senior commander, threatened to arrest him last month after he pledged to curtail their influence.

Residents also reported gunfire from their barracks last month in an apparent warning to transitional leaders.

The country's revolution last year was seen as a model by other pro-democracy groups across Africa who hope to prevent their leaders from trying to prolong their rules.

City Power is pleading with residents in its area of supply not to panic when they experience recurrent disconnections.

"City Power has started to roll out a solution called load limiting in its areas of supply in Johannesburg and households have been advised to reduce their consumption by switching off non-essential items such as geysers, stoves and pool pumps when they experience disconnections to ensure a steady supply," City Power said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Load Limiting is a technology that enables City Power to accurately identify and ascertain household consumption in real time in relation to the available generating capacity.

City Power had embarked on a mass deployment of load limiting to leverage the power of technology to avert the implementation of the early stages of load shedding.

Also making headlines:
South African Airways spokesperson Tlali Tlali  said suggestions that there was mistrust at the top levels at South African Airways was an exaggeration. 

South African President Jacob Zuma was discharged from hospital after undergoing a scheduled procedure to remove gallstones.

Islamic State claimed an attack that killed five members of Egypt's security forces.

And, the Republic of Congo forum opens its door to president Denis Sassou N'guesso’s re-election.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.