Tuesday March 15, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Shannon De Ryhove

Making headlines:

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) added its voice to concerns that all major roads in Gauteng would reportedly be tolled in the next three years, saying that the tolls would discourage investment within the province. Chairperson Chose Choeu called on the Department of Transport, the South African National Roads Agency Limited and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to seriously consider the implications of extending the toll system, and to find alternative sources of funding for the roadwork planned. Sacci also said that the intention of the JRA to toll the city’s M1 and M2 motorways to fund its maintenance backlog, were in direct conflict with the country’s stated policy of the imposition of tolls.

France said that Group of Eight foreign ministers will try to agree in Paris on what action should be taken in Libya, to speed up a United Nations Security Council decision on whether to impose a no-fly zone. The current G8 president, France said Libya would be a priority during talks between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. With violence worsening, "no option could be ruled out", foreign ministry spokesperson Bernard Valero told an electronic press briefing as Muammar Gaddafi's troops battled rebel fighters for control of the oil town of Brega.

Paul Ngobeni may lose his job as legal adviser to Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu after his open letter to Planning Minister Trevor Manuel on a race row involving government spokesman Jimmy Manyi. "Sisulu has since suspended Mr Ngobeni from all duties with full pay for a period of thirty days and also requested him to submit written reasons why he should not be released from his duties as the legal adviser to the Minister," Sisulu's office said in a statement. Sisulu distanced herself from the letter and "all its contents", saying neither she nor her office were consulted about it.

Also making headlines:
Opposition political parties welcomed the arrest of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik.
There is little risk that the political crisis in North Africa could spread to the sub-Sahara region, but escalating oil and food prices are the main worry, Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said.
And, Niger's opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou will head the West African country's return to civilian rule after provisional results showed that he won a presidential election.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.