April 22, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Schalk Burger.
Making headlines:

Business Against Crime South Africa  expresses concern about the ongoing xenophobic attacks.

Niger shuts schools and vaccinates children to fight a meningitis outbreak.

And, the Department of Home Affairs said it’s ready to pilot the eChannel system for smart ID cards.

 

Business Against Crime South Africa (or Bacsa) said it  was clear that the recent xenophobic attacks cannot be managed by the South African Police Service alone. It therefore called on President Jacob Zuma and the South African National Defence Force to play a more proactive role in deterring the violence.

Bacsa expressed concern that the attacks could exceed the reach of xenophobia, causing a brain drain and an outflow of investors.

The business body said the xenophobic attacks had already negatively impacted South African businesses both locally and in parts of Africa. This was a loss it could ill afford in a gloomy economic climate.

 

Niger has shut all schools in the region around the capital Niamey and launched a campaign to vaccinate children aged 2 to 15 in an effort to halt a meningitis outbreak that has killed at least 85 since January.

Schools will be closed from Wednesday until Monday next week, the government said in a statement, adding that 905 cases of the disease had been recorded.

Meningococcal meningitis infects the thin lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can cause severe brain damage, deafness, epilepsy or necrosis and if untreated is fatal in 50% of cases.

 

The Department of Home Affairs said it was ready to pilot eChannel, its new innovative system that will allow citizens to apply for their smart ID cards from the comfort of their homes.

The department’s Chief Director for Channel Management, Mpho Moloi said all systems were in place to roll out the pilot project that wiould also allow customers to walk into their nearest bank to apply for their smart ID cards.

“FNB and Standard bank have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding and have provided a site each and envisage to go on-line in May.

Moloi said they have already installed phone booths at the sites and are currently testing the eChannel system to ensure that it could withstand the security requirements.

He said a risk analysis had been conducted and they were seeking further legal advice on the security of the eChannel system.

Also making headlines:

Eskom won’t be load-shedding for the first part of Wednesday because there was currently enough electricity generating capacity to meet demand.

South African authorities arrested 11 men in Johannesburg suspected of involvement in violence against immigrants.

And, Khartoum has so far declined to issue visas for senior US, British and French diplomats hoping to conduct a fact-finding mission in Sudan's conflict-torn Darfur region.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.