July 26, 2012
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane

Making headlines:

Business Unity South Africa says new labour laws will set South Africa back.

The International Monetary Fund welcomes Sudan’s austerity but urges more reforms.

And, the African National Congress national executive committee will study the report on the Limpopo textbook saga.

Big business came out strongly in opposition to government's proposed changes to labour legislation on Wednesday.

Appearing before Parliament's labour portfolio committee, Business Unity South Africa (or Busa) warned that the two measures, if enacted, would set back employment creation. This took place on the second and final day of public hearings on the Basic Conditions of Employment and the Labour Relations amendment bills.

Busa executive director Vanessa Phala told MPs that the level of unemployment is continuing to rise. She said Busa is of the opinion that the bills brought forth will not take South Africa anywhere in terms of addressing the issue of unemployment.

Phala said it wasn’t a good idea to always want to change the laws because there was no compliance. However, she suggests that MPs might want to first address enforcement and then address compliance.

An International Monetary Fund mission says that Sudan must press ahead with reforms to ensure its economic stability. It welcomed the country's moves, which included scaling back its fuel subsidies and devaluing its currency.

Sudan is in an economic crisis that has triggered anti-government protests. The country needs to bridge a budget gap of 6.5-billion Sudanese pounds after losing much of its oil production when South Sudan became independent a year ago.

Annual inflation hit 37.2 percent in June mainly owing to imported price rises as Sudan imports much of its food needs.

Gwede Mantashe says that the African National Congress' national executive committee will study a report on the Limpopo textbook saga. He added that the ANC would also look at the under-performance of municipalities during its NEC lekgotla, which begins this week.

He further added that this would help the party to think about the saga without "emotion or sentimentality". However, he also said that the poor performances could not be blamed on the ANC's policy of cadre deployment but instead on "wrong deployment".

The party will also discuss health, rural development and the fight against crime and corruption during the lekgotla.

Also making headlines:

BHP Billiton chairperson Xolani Mkhwanazi says South Africa needs continued investment in skills development.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe calls on the US Congress to maintain funding on Aids.

And, former president FW de Klerk says he would have fired Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga over the textbook crisis.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.