January 9, 2013.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

 

The Western Cape farm workers' strike is expected to continue.

Rwanda opposes the use of surveillance drones by the United Nations in eastern Congo.

And, the Department of Basic Education says textbooks have been delivered on time.

 

The Food and Allied Workers' Union (or Fawu) said on Tuesday that farm workers were expected to continue their strike in Ceres, Wolseley and De Doorns on Wednesday morning.

Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said the union called on the Western Cape farm workers to engage in peaceful strike actions and desist from engaging in violence. However, it encouraged farm workers to remain militant in the course of protest, picketing and other actions.

Masemola also said that the union remained resolute that “there was a need for a significant adjustment in the wages of farm workers and the need to introduce a compulsory employee and employer contribution-based provident fund.”

However, Agri-SA CEO Hans van der Merwe said that most farmers couldn’t afford to increase employees' wages and that only bigger farms could afford mechanisation and higher wages.

Western Cape police said officers would be deployed to all affected areas.

 

Rwanda has opposed the use of surveillance drones in eastern DRC as proposed by the United Nations until there is a full assessment of their use. The country said it didn’t want Africa to become a laboratory for foreign intelligence devices.

The United Nations has wanted surveillance drones for eastern Congo since 2008. However, the request was never met, yet the idea generated new interest last year after M23 rebels began taking over large sections of eastern Congo.

Rwanda, which has denied allegations by UN experts that it has been supporting M23, made it clear that it considered UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous’ call for deploying drones premature.

Meanwhile, Security Council diplomats said the US, Britain and other council members were supportive of the idea of using drones in eastern Congo. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to submit a report to the Security Council in the coming weeks, recommending ways of improving the UN force in Congo, known as the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.

 

South Africa’s basic education department says that at least 98% of textbooks had been delivered to inland schools ahead of the first day of school on Wednesday.

Minister Angie Motshekga says that the department is ready to welcome one-million learners into the education system.

The department also said that extra textbooks would be delivered within the first two weeks of school this year. Teachers should be ready and in their classrooms from the first day.

While the department acknowledged encountering some problems, it said these were being addressed. Problems include the late registration of learners, too many applications flocking to former model C schools, and space constraints in some schools because of overcrowding. There has also been the issue of forced closure of schools, as experienced in the Western Cape.

 

Also making headlines:

 

African Union head Boni Yayi calls for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to help fight Mali rebels.

Swaziland says the loan from South Africa is 'not working out.'

And, Uganda reimburses $5-million worth of stolen aid back to Ireland.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.