February 24, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

Government and the City of Johannesburg plan to revitalise old townships.

Egyptian jets kill seven civillians while attacking suspected Islamist militants in the eastern Libyan city of Derna.

And, Schabir Shaik applies for ordinary parole.

 

Gauteng Premier David Makhura announced during his state of the province address on Monday that Government and the City of Johannesburg plan to revitalise old townships.

Makhura said the focus would be on Kliptown in Soweto and Alexandra, next to Sandton.

He also said 14 000 housing units would be built in Lion Park, Diepsloot East, Fleurhof, Cosmo City, Malibongwe Ridge and Goud Rand.

The Premier also mentioned that there would be upgrades in the Masingita, Rietfontein, Waterfall, Modderfontein and Steyn areas, adding that these developments would have major socio-economic benefits with regard to decent employment as well as economic inclusions.

The multi-billion rand projects are expected to create thousands of jobs.

 

 

Seven civilians were killed when Egyptian jets attacked suspected Islamist militant targets in the eastern Libyan city of Derna last week, Amnesty International said.

Egypt had flown air strikes against Islamic State targets a day after the militant group released a video showing the beheading of a group of Egyptian Christians.

On Sunday, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the air force had hit 13 targets selected after a careful study and reconnaissance "with precision" to avoid civilian casualties.

Libya is in turmoil with two governments and parliaments allied to armed groups fighting for territory and legitimacy four years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

 

 

Six years after convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik was released on medical parole, apparently terminally ill, he has applied for ordinary parole, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha said on Monday.

Masutha said the department had received correspondence from the medical parole advisory board in which "offender Shaik" had asked for his medical parole to be converted to ordinary parole.

The department said it was attending to the matter but Masutha rejected the Democratic Alliance claims that he personally received the application from the applicant.

Shaik, President Jacob Zuma's former financial adviser, was found guilty of corruption and fraud in 2005. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison on each of two counts of corruption, as well as three years for fraud.

 

Also making headlines:

The Gauteng provincial government aims to inject more than R300-million into information and communications technology infrastructure over the next three years.

The AU has urged the Congolese government to accept help from UN forces to defeat rebels in the country's east, after a row over human rights derailed plans for joint operations.

A Japanese anti-Ebola drug being tested in Guinea should be made available across West Africa after initial trials showed it halved mortality rates in some patients.

And, Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe will “soon” call for nominations for commissioners to serve on the country’s second National Planning Commission, with the term of the inaugural commission set to end in May.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.