Tuesday March 29, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe addressing a US audience on Monday defended South Africa's record on affirmative action, the Côte d’Ivoire, press freedom while hinting that teacher unions were to some extent holding the education system to ransom. Motlanthe was speaking at New York University on South Africa's economy and the African Diaspora. After his speech, Motlanthe took a question from the American audience on Planning Minister Trevor Manuel and "racism and colourism" Motlanthe said that there were people who were seeking to undermine affirmative action who were taking advantage of Manyi's remarks. He did not name specific people or organisations.

European Union (EU) governments are preparing possible harsher sanctions against the Côte d’Ivoire’s Laurent Gbagbo to try to force the incumbent leader to relinquish power, EU diplomats said. Pressure is growing for more international measures against Gbagbo, who claimed victory in a November poll despite United Nations-certified results showing he lost. Violent clashes have since broken out across the country, the world's top cocoa producer and once a rock of stability in West Africa.

The global fight over fossil fuels has hit home in South Africa as the coal-dependent country debates its energy future before hosting United Nations climate talks later this year. Africa's largest economy is overhauling its energy policy, looking to more than double its power supply by adding more than 50 000 MW of electricity to the grid at a cost of R860-billion ($125-billion, 90-billion euros). But as the country seeks to ease power shortages that caused paralysing blackouts in 2008, environmentalists say it is not doing enough to cut its reliance on coal-fired power – currently more than 90% of the electricity supply.

Also making headlines:
Qatar became the first Arab country on Monday to recognise Libya's rebels as the people's sole legitimate representative.
The ruling party in Central African Republic looked set to secure a commanding majority in parliament after a weekend election dominated by a low turnout due to an opposition boycott.
Violence during Nigeria's elections which begin this week is a concern but is unlikely to disrupt the overall process, the head of the Commonwealth election observer mission said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines.