September 18, 2012
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

The Congress of South African Trade Unions retains its top leadership.

Gauteng agriculture MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza says South Africa is food secure.

And, a security source claims Nigerian troops have killed Boko Haram’s spokesperson.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (or Cosatu's) top leadership retained their positions unopposed at the trade union federation's 11th national congress on Monday.

General secretary Zwelinzima Vavi was nominated unopposed to the same
position for a third term at the congress in Midrand.

Bheki Ntshalintshali will remain Vavi's deputy. Similarly, Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini, first deputy president Tyotyo James, and second deputy president Zingiswa Losi all retain their positions.

Although all the positions are unopposed, the results of the leadership election will officially only be announced on Thursday.

President Jacob Zuma thanked Cosatu delegates for preventing those who wanted to "deplete" the federation from taking control of the congress.

Gauteng agriculture MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza says that Limpopo is the most food-secure province in the country, with more than 86% of people having enough to eat. She was quoting from the latest Statistics South Africa general household survey.

It showed that KwaZulu-Natal was second with 82.9% of its people having enough to eat, with Gauteng coming in third with 81.5%. The province with the lowest access to food was the North West with 67.1%. However this means that 6.5% of people in South Africa have a severe lack of access to food.

Mayathula-Khoza said a priority was to strengthen the ability of rural and urban households to play an active role in sustaining their livelihoods through agriculture. She also highlighted the importance of the participation of women in economic production to help food production and rural development.

A senior security source says that Nigerian troops have killed Islamist sect Boko Haram spokesperson Abu Qaqa. This follows a gun battle in the northern city of Kano in which two men were also arrested.

The Nigerian security source, who could not be named, said the man killed had been identified as Abu Qaqa, whose name frequently appears in pronouncements on behalf of the sect from its northeastern base. He said that one of the two arrested was suspected to be a top Boko Haram commander.

A spokesperson for the military and police joint task force in Kano, Lieutenant Ikedichi, said checks were being made to determine the identities of the three men.

Also making headlines:

President Jacob Zuma says South Africa’s has suffered a 4.5-billion rand loss of production as a result of platinum and gold mine work stoppage.

The Economic Community of West African States is gearing up for a tough fight to help Mali’s government forces reclaim the North of the country from Islamist militants.

And, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille says an education overhaul is needed to overcome the social inequalities inherited from apartheid.
 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.