June 19, 2014
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:
 

South African opposition parties welcome the ruling on IEC chairperson Pansy Tlakula.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies says government should meet its local procurement target by 2019.

And, the International Monetary Fund approves a $47.1-million emergency loan to Madagascar.
 

The Electoral Court's recommendation on Wednesday that Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (or IEC) chairperson Pansy Tlakula be removed from her position was welcomed by three of the parties who brought the application.

The IEC, however, said in a statement it noted the ruling, but could not immediately comment further as it needed to study it.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said his party welcomed the decision by the Electoral Court as it was long overdue. He claimed Tlakula had been “wasting everybody's time."

Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the South African people could rest assured that the EFF would support Tlakula’s removal “in order to restore dignity and confidence in the office of the IEC."

In a written judgment on Wednesday, Judge Lotter Wepener recommended Tlakula be removed from her post. He concluded Tlakula had committed misconduct to an extent warranting her removal from office.
 

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said on Wednesday that Government was well on its way to meeting the 75% local procurement target set by President Jacob Zuma before 2019.

Speaking during the debate on Zuma's state of the nation address, Davies said the department was on target to meet the requirement before the end of this term. Davies also defended the central theme of Zuma's speech, which was "radical economic transformation".

He accused opposition parties and commentators of missing the point of Zuma's State of the Nation speech. He also emphasised that the country’s vision and  broad directive compass was the National Development Plan (or NDP).

Davies said within the NDP, government recognised the national growth path, the infrastructure programme and the industrial policy action plan as key components and drivers of taking the country where it needed to go.

He also claimed that the need for a beneficiation strategy was key if South Africa was to industrialise and create jobs.
 

The International Monetary Fund (or IMF) approved a $47.1-million emergency loan to Madagascar to help the Indian Ocean island state to meet urgent balance of payment needs.

Madagascar, famed for its wildlife and eyed by foreign companies for its minerals, has struggled to lure back tourists and court oil and mining giants since a coup in 2009.  This also prompted international donors to cut off ties, its economy slumped and poverty deepened.

The IMF resumed its relationship with Madagascar earlier this year, following peaceful elections.

The IMF, which expects the Malagasy economy to grow by 3% this year, said the approval of the loan would enable the government to hold talks with international development partners for more assistance.

Other headlines:

Statistics South Africa’s latest General Household Survey shows that the number of households living in informal dwellings remained stubbornly high with nearly 14% of South Africa’s 15-million households living in such lodgings.

A charge of murder and attempted murder relating to the 1999 killing of Oupa Ramogibe will not be reinstated against former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli.

And, as South Africa moves to evolve its regulatory environment to accommodate renewable-energy inputs into the national grid, so too does the likelihood of a long-term evolution to the exclusive use of smart electricity grids to manage energy consumption in the country’s metropolis.
 

Also on Polity today:
 

The latest speeches by political leaders, including  President Jacob Zuma’s full State of the Nation address and EFF leader Julius Malema’s response to Zuma’s speech, among others.

The latest multimedia includes discussions with researcher and analyst Professor Raymond Suttner on politics in South Africa, as well as independent political commentator Aubrey Matshiqi on the future of South Africa.

Some recommended reading includes Oxfam International’s report on ‘Inequality trends and policy responses in contemporary Russia’, as well as ‘Future oil revenues and political dynamics in West and East Africa’, by the South African Institute of International Affairs.
 

For news at it unfolds go to our twitter handle @PolityZA andt the Polity website.

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