June 5, 2012

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Reggie Sikhakhane

Making headlines:

South African public service workers negotiating annual pay increases have rejected a 6.5% hike on offer, saying that it does not take into account the "devastating effects" of increasing inflation on wages, unions said on Monday.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, representing 14 unions with an estimated 1.3-million members, is seeking an 8% raise, down from 10% initially demanded.

Further rounds of talks are due to be held over the next 10 days.

Sudan and South Sudan on Monday began their first direct high-level talks on border security since a series of frontier clashes threatened to drag the former civil war foes back into a full-scale conflict.

The two countries returned to African Union-mediated talks last week, after the United Nations threatened to impose sanctions if they failed to stop fighting along the border and conclude a deal.

Perched atop some of Africa's most significant crude reserves, the two countries have been mired in disputes over oil revenues and demarcation of their border since South Sudan gained independence in July last year.

The High Court in Pretoria will hear an application by the non-profit organisation Freedom Under Law (or FUL) on Tuesday for an urgent interdict preventing Lt-Gen Richard Mdluli from serving on the police force.

FUL has also applied for an interdict preventing Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa from moving Mdluli to a new position before a review of his reinstatement.

Also making headlines:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s spokesperson Ahmad Fawzi says the Syrian peace plan is not being implemented as it must be, by either side, and that the time may have come to review the situation.

And, clashes broke out between rival Libyan militias at Tripoli's international airport on Monday after angry gunmen drove armed pickup trucks onto the tarmac and surrounded planes, forcing the airport to cancel flights.

That’s a round up of news making headlines today.