September 25, 2012
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton assures Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on economic assistance.

Gauteng Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe says the clean-audit push in the province is yielding fruit.

And, Mali asks the UN for 'immediate' action on force to recapture northern parts of the country.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reassured Egypt's new Islamist president on Monday that the US would forge ahead with plans to expand economic assistance. This is despite anti-American protests that have cast new shadows over US engagement with the region.

A senior State Department official said Clinton reinforced the Obama administration's continued commitment to provide both military and economic aid for Cairo.

US officials said earlier this month they were close to a deal with Egypt's new government for $1-billion in debt relief. The aid would help Cairo shore up its ailing economy in the aftermath of its pro-democracy uprising, which ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.

The aid package had languished during Egypt's 18 months of political turmoil. Progress appears to reflect a cautious easing of US suspicions about Mursi, who was elected in June.

Gauteng Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe says that a total of 92% of Gauteng provincial government (or GPG) departments achieved unqualified audit opinions in the 2011/2012 financial year. He described this as “significant progress” in meeting the province’s clean-audit aspirations.

The target forms part of government’s larger Operation Clean Audit, which aims to ensure that all municipalities and provincial government departments achieve clean audit outcomes by 2014.

Of the GPG's 16 public entities, only seven achieved clean audits, eight received unqualified audits; however, with nonfinancial queries. The Gauteng Liquor Board received a qualified report during the period under review.

Gauteng Provincial Treasury was implementing a number of key measures to improve financial management in the province.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says that Mali has asked the United Nations to approve an "immediate" mandate for an international force to help it recover northern parts of the country controlled by Islamist militants and drug traffickers.

Fabius said Mali had requested a UN Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to mandate an international force "to help the Malian army to reconquer the occupied areas of northern Mali.

Chapter 7 allows the council to authorize actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention.

Fabius said Mali's request would be discussed at a high-level meeting on the situation in the Sahel, during the UN General Assembly and that Paris had begun talks with other Security Council members on how to proceed.

Also making headlines

A warrant of arrest has been issued against former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema.

Rival political supporters clash in Guinea.

And, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and the Human Resource Development Council of South Africa calls for social partners to get behind the skills development plan.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.