Friday September 2, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Schalk Burger.

Making headlines:

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said yesterday that the uncertainties in the global economy remain a risk to South Africa's prospects and the country needs to increase its competitiveness in order to compete with its counterparts in the Brics group.

"The clouds of instability in European banks, the sovereign debt crisis and the weakening prospects cast a long shadow across the globe. This includes a shadow over the South African economy,” he said.

Gordhan said South Africa's business cycle was closely linked with the developed world and a slowdown there would impact the country.

Governor Gill Marcus, meanwhile, said last week the Reserve Bank would "act appropriately" if there was a sustained slowdown in the global economy. Her comments have fuelled expectations that rates could fall again.

President Jacob Zuma told security forces to take "very strong action" against those who trashed streets and assaulted people, as supporters of African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema did outside the ANC's Johannesburg headquarters earlier this week.

Malema and five co-accused are facing an ANC disciplinary hearing on charges of bringing the ANC into disrepute and sowing divisions in ANC ranks.

The hearing resumed at 9 am on Friday, when the disciplinary committee will deliver its ruling on Malema's application for the charges to be dropped.

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, who has been driven into hiding by his foes, on Thursday urged his supporters to fight on, even as Libya's new interim rulers meet world leaders to discuss reshaping a nation torn by 42 years of one-man rule and six months of war.

The fugitive leader was speaking on the anniversary of the military coup that toppled King Idris and brought him to power in 1969 when he was a 27-year-old army captain.

There have been conflicting reports about Gaddafi's location since his Tripoli compound was overrun on August 23.

A senior military commander of the interim National Transitional Council said Gaddafi was in a desert town outside Tripoli, along with his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, planning a fightback.

All three fugitives are wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

Also making headlines:

The United Nations says the Somalia famine is yet to reach its peak .

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change technology executive committee kicks off its first meeting in Germany.

And, a government official says Zimbabwe’s empowerment law on mining is 'flexible'.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.