September 27, 2012
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Megan Wait.
Making headlines:

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant says there is no excuse for lawless strikes.

UN Security Council members are divided over response to the crisis in Mali.

And, the Development Bank of Southern Africa grants Ekurhuleni a R182-million loan for infrastructure.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant said on Wednesday that South Africa's law provided a space for protected peaceful strikes, which should obviate the need for illegal strikes accompanied by violence.

She said that the Constitution and the Labour Relations Act gives workers the legal right to demonstrate their grievances to the public. Similarly, it also gave rights to workers who had chosen not to strike.

Oliphant dismissed economic and academic commentators who criticised government for "what they call lack of effective intervention". She said that for government to simply jump in on labour market operational issues carries the risk of undermining the role of the very institutions that it has set up.

Through the Labour Relations Act the government has established mechanisms to deal with labour-related issues.

UN members appeared deeply divided on Wednesday as they sought to resolve the crisis in Mali. France and some of Mali's neighbors backed possible military intervention, while the US said the West African nation must first have an elected government.

The special UN session on Mali, was intended to devise a plan to counter the nation’s descent into chaos after a military coup toppled the president. This left a power vacuum that enabled local Tuareg rebels to seize nearly two-thirds of the country.

Malian Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra told the General Assembly that
there is an urgent need to act to end the suffering of the people of Mali and to prevent a similar situation that would be even more complicated in the Sahel and the rest of the world.

French President Francois Hollande warned that Mali's territorial integrity should be restored as soon as possible and that any lost time would only complicate matters.

The Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality has secured a R182-million loan from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (or DBSA) to deal with backlogs in socioeconomic infrastructure such as water and sanitation, roads, electricity and housing.

Ekurhuleni has initiated a multimillion-rand capital expansion programme to accelerate the implementation of its Integrated Development Plan. This plans aims to drive socioeconomic development through constructing and rehabilitating municipal infrastructure.

DBSA South Africa northern cluster divisional executive Bethuel Netshiswinzhe says that significant progress has been made in improving the delivery of subsidised basic services, construction of roads, providing housing, combating corruption and creating a safe and secure environment.

However, it is estimated that 19% of households in the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality still have no access to electricity, 18% are without water and 32% without proper sanitation services.

Also making headlines:

Sudan and South Sudan reach a border agreement to resume oil exports.

Libya's congress gives new Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur ultimatum to name new government Cabinet.

And, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's death was as tragic as that of US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.