South Africa

PRETORIA - President Jacob Zuma has proposed a deal which will allow autocratic leaders in Africa immunity from prosecution in exchange for their retirement. "Let us do things differently and not emphasise punishment," says Zuma. He declined to name any leaders who might be candidates for immunity. It is widely perceived that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his regime are motivated to hold onto power because they fear prosecution for crimes against humanity going as far back as the massacre of 20 000 people in Matabeleland from 1982 to 1985. It has also been cited as a factor hindering the agreement of a peace deal in Uganda. Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony has been said to be reluctant to sign an agreement because he fears prosecution for crimes which include sexual violence against women and girls and the conscription of child soldiers from villages.

CAPE TOWN - The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry says that Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel's comments at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa that business leaders are cowards are "unwarranted". The chamber's CE, Neren Rau, says that business often acts to preserve the integrity of the business environment and is sometimes forced to make substantial compromises to safeguard positive investor perception. Manuel criticised both business and union leaders in an address at the WEF meeting, in Cape Town. He seemed to indicate that labour unions are too powerful. "There is no counterweight in society if you have cowards in business," said Manuel. Rau says that he agrees with Manuel in that strikes are too often used as an instrument of influence. This causes "substantial harm" to business and the perception of investors about the local business environment. South Africa's largest trade union also slams Manuel's comments. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says that Manuel's comments are "dishonest", "unfortunate" and "irresponsible". "It is totally irresponsible for Manuel to suggest a ‘counterweight' when there is a glaring imbalance in favour of business," says the NUM.

ROME - The world's rich nations must show urgency and "political vision" in giving more influence to emerging countries in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), says Egypt Finance Minister and head of the fund's steering committee Youssef Boutros-Ghali. At a meeting of the G8 Finance Ministers in southern Italy, Boutros-Ghali says he is concerned that the sense of urgency for IMF reforms is waning as the global economy shows signs of improvement. He says that he would not like to see the world get through the economic crisis without having invested in fundamental change to keep it from happening again. "There will be significant movement only when the leaders get together on IMF quota reform," he explains. Giving more votes to countries like China and Russia, which have said they are ready to contribute more funds to the IMF, is "part of the reform". Boutros-Ghali supports a proposal from China for a new global currency to replace the dollar as the world's main reserve currency, though he stresses that this is a long-term project with many potential hurdles. He adds that African nations still need to stimulate their economies and for this they need more help from international financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. Looking at his own country, Boutros Ghali expects growth to accelerate slightly in the second quarter to an annualised rate of between 4,3% and 4,5%, after a 4,3% expansion in the first three months of the year.

CAPE TOWN - Africa must keep up reforms and avoid protectionism to turn the global crisis into an opportunity for growth driven by more than just China's quest for minerals, said delegates at the World Economic Forum on Africa. The unprecedented Chinese presence at the Forum was a clear sign that China has further strengthened its position during the crisis to become the most important partner for many of the continent's states. Africa enjoyed average growth of over 5% for five years, but growth is expected to dip below 3% this year. This has piled pressure on some governments to slow reforms and raise tariff barriers. There is little doubt that the immediate impetus for African growth will come from China.