July 7, 2014.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:
 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wishes Al Jazeera journalists had been deported and not tried.

MyCiTi bus service begins operations in the Cape Flats and Khayelitsha.

And, South Africa's Implats says the Marula mine wildcat strike continues.
 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he wished the imprisoned Al Jazeera journalists, convicted of aiding "a terrorist group", had been deported and not put on trial, a newspaper reported on Monday.

Sisi's comments have sparked hope for the family of Australian reporter Peter Greste who, along with colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, was jailed last month for 10 years. Sisi was quoted by a private newspaper as saying the verdict "had very negative effects".

Sisi's initial reaction to the ruling was that he would not interfere in court verdicts. Monday's comments could be a hint he might use his presidential power to pardon the journalists, who still have a chance to appeal against the verdict in a higher court.

Peter Greste's brother, Andrew, said he was heartened by the comments.

The Western Cape’s MyCiTi bus service began servicing Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha on Saturday, the City of Cape Town said.

The MyCiTi buses will be travelling between these areas and the Civic Centre station in Cape Town, from which passengers will be able to connect to other parts of the city, transport spokesperson Brett Herron said in a statement.

This included Atlantis on the west coast, the Waterfront, or Hout Bay.

This was the first milestone of many to come in the city’s endeavours to improve the mobility of residents in the metro south east and to link them to opportunities and amenities across the city.
 

South Africa's Impala Platinum said on Monday workers were continuing a wildcat strike over wages at its Marula mine.

Around 2 000 workers affiliated with the National Union of Mineworkers (or NUM) downed tools at the mine on Friday, demanding higher wages.

Implats, the world's second largest producer of platinum, and rivals Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin are still reeling from a five-month strike in South Africa that ended in late June. That stoppage was led by NUM's arch rival the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (or AMCU).

The Marula operation of Implats was not hit by that strike as its NUM-affiliated workforce signed a wage deal last year. However, it seemed the Marula miners now wanted the same wage deal that AMCU obtained for its members at other Implats' mines.


 

Also making headlines:

Libya is expected to announce its elections results on July 20.
 

And, gunmen kill at least 29 people in two attacks on the Kenyan coast.
 

Also on Polity today:
 

Some recommended reading includes a report on the consideration of the economic development of sub-Saharan Africa from the perspective of slow convergence of productivity, by the Centre for Global Development.
 

And, an opinion piece by Jared Sacks examines the court battle between the Legal Resources Centre acting for the new Marikana shack settlement in Philippi and the legal counsel representing the City of Cape Town.

Follow us on Twitter (@PolityZA) for updates on breaking news.
 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.