November 22, 2012.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.

Making headlines:

Opposition parties reject proposal of motion of no confidence debate.

A UN report reveals that a senior Democratic Republic of Congo General sold arms to the M23 rebel groups.

And, acting US Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank is expected to visit South Africa and Kenya next week.

Opposition parties have rejected a proposal put forward by the African National Congress Chief Whip Mathole Motshekga that a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma be debated in February.

Motshekga said on Wednesday that he didn’t oppose the motion being scheduled, but that it wouldn’t be possible for the debate to take place before the last sitting of the House this year.

The opposition parties said that this phenomenal backtracking from the ANC Chief Whip, who two weeks ago tried to block the motion from being heard at all, continues to undermine the Constitution, which enables the National Assembly to remove a sitting president through a majority vote.

The opposition parties also said that Motshekga wanted the debate to take place next year because the ANC national executive committee had over-ruled his initial "rash, and unconstitutional position".

According to a UN report published on Wednesday, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's most senior army commanders has been selling weapons to rebel groups accused of carrying out widespread massacres.

General Gabriel Amisi commands DRC's land forces, which suffered a humiliating defeat after being driven out of the eastern city of Goma by rebel fighters on Tuesday. This was despite support from thousands of United Nations peacekeepers.

The report, written for the UN by a group of independent experts, says that Amisi oversees a network providing arms and ammunition to criminal groups and rebels who roam in the hills and forests of DRC's resource-rich but troubled east. It also says that Amisi ordered that 300 AK 47 assault rifles be given to another armed group operating in eastern DRC, known as Nyatura.

The report also revealed that ammunition is bought in neighbouring Congo Brazzaville, before being smuggled through the Congolese capital Kinshasa to the east by a close network of Amisi's associates, including family members.

The US Commerce Department said that acting US Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank would travel to South Africa and Kenya next week to launch an initiative to expand business ties.

Blank said that Africa is a region of growing opportunity and promise, and that it has the potential to be the world's next major economic success story. She added that everything possible must be done to ensure that trade and investment with Africa is promoted.

US lawmakers and corporate executives have expressed concern that the US isn’t doing enough to respond to rising competition from China in Africa. However, President Barack Obama, in June, laid out a US strategy toward sub-Saharan Africa partly to address those concerns.

Also making headlines:

Britain's new envoy to the Sahel region, Stephen O'Brien, says Mali Islamists threaten interests outside Africa.

South Sudan and Sudan trade accusations result in setbacks to the peace deal.

And, labour experts say changes to South Africa’s labour legislation will have a significant impact on how employers conduct their business.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.