Friday June 17, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines:

South Africa's controversial African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema has dismissed claims that he will oppose President Jacob Zuma's re-election as leader of the ruling party.

Speaking at the opening of the Youth League's elective conference, where he is set to sail into a second term as president of the most powerful bloc within the ANC, Malema accused the media of fabricating a rift between him and Zuma.

But, ANC insiders say that despite his comments, Malema is at odds with Zuma, who has dismissed the league's drives to nationalise mines in the world's biggest platinum producer and seize white-owned farms.

Zuma called on critics not to read too much into discussions within the ruling party, saying that differing views shouldn’t be stifled.

NATO planes resumed bombardments of Tripoli after Muammar Gaddafi's son said the Libyan leader was willing to hold elections and step aside if he lost. This offer, however, has been rejected by rebels and the United States.

Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, told an Italian newspaper that the elections could be held within three months and transparency could be guaranteed through international observers.

He said his father would be ready to cede power if he lost the election, though he wouldn’t go into exile.

A planned Cape-to-Cairo free trade zone encompassing 26 countries, 525-million people and $1-trillion in output could spur major investment in Africa, but only if politicians stick to their open market promises.

Talks on the so-called African Grand Free Trade Area, which will stretch from Libya to Kenya to South Africa, were launched this week at a meeting of three smaller regional blocs that will effectively be merging into one.

African leaders declared that the Free Trade Area would be in place in three years – an ambitious but not unreasonable goal given that two of the blocs, the Common Market for East and Southern Africa and the East African Community, already have tariff- and quota-free trade.

Also making headlines:
North Sudan's army vows to continue fighting against southern-aligned groups in the oil-producing border state of Southern Kordofan.
Wider public unease about climate change and stronger economic growth are likely to be needed to revive sluggish UN talks after hopes for quick agreement on a treaty have fizzled.
And, Sudan's national revenues will fall by more than a third after losing the south's oil output when the country splits.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.