Friday, November 14, 2008.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shona Kohler.

Making headlines:

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki intends to approach the Supreme Court of Appeal with his challenge against the judgement of Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson. This judgement inferred that Mbeki had politically meddled in the National Prosecuting Authority's investigation of Jacob Zuma.

Mbeki's decision to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal follows the failure of his bid to have the ruling revoked at the Constitutional Court, earlier this week. The Court dismissed his application, stating that it was "not in the interests of justice" to hear the matter at this stage.

In Mbeki's urgent application for direct access to the Constitutional Court, he had planned to argue that the findings of political meddling were made without affording him a hearing, and thus constituted a violation of his constitutional rights.

In other political news, the African National Congress's Smuts Ngonyama has resigned, citing disrespect for authority in the party as his reason for doing so. He said he was no longer able to "tolerate or embrace" this disrespect, finding it offensive and not something to be celebrated.

Ngonyama is the latest in a slew of ANC members to have left the ruling party to join the Congress of the People. Ngonyama said that it is imperative for him to continue to contribute to the country's development and he will do so where he can have the maximum impact.

The new Cope member could not detail the position he is to hold, but states that it does not matter as long as he can make a contribution. He believes that Cope is a welcome addition to South Africa's political landscape.

In African news, the global credit crisis is believed to have come just as African economies were turning the corner. This forces governments to delay or scale down projects to stimulate growth and fight poverty.

The continent's economic growth accelerated, as inward investment grew and foreign capital took on a greater role in road, power and utility development. Turmoil in world markets, however, has cut the supply of funds, leaving African governments wondering how their infrastructure will be built.

African finance ministers and central bank heads said, in a statement made at a Tunis conference, that the financial crisis could not have come at a worse time for the African continent.

Also making headlines:

The US presses the G20 to back the Doha framework deal.

Finance minister Nene says that inflation targeting is the anchor of South Africa's monetary policy.

And, Britain backs the call for more UN peacekeeping troops in the Congo.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, visit polity.org.za.