November 23, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

Cosatu to elect new leaders and clean house

Liberia monitors over 150 Ebola contacts as the virus re-emerges.

And, another salary increase for President Jacob Zuma on the cards.

 

The Congress of SA Trade Unions (or Cosatu) will hold its 12th National Congress this week where it will, among other things, elect new leaders.

The trade union federation had admitted to having a difficult few years, having been marred by infighting and divisions between those who support Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini and former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

That had led to the expulsion of Cosatu's biggest affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA, in November last year which had 32 000 members at the time.

Cosatu also expelled Vavi in March this year.

The trade union federation had also seen its numbers dwindle by a little more than 300 000.

Dlamini is expected to keep his position as Cosatu president.

 

Liberia has placed 153 people under surveillance as it seeks to control a new Ebola outbreak in the capital more than two months after the country was declared free of the virus, health officials said.

Three Ebola cases emerged in Liberia on Friday.

Liberia's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francis Kateh told a news agency that the new cases were labelled as high, medium and low in terms of the risk.

The West African country had suffered the highest death toll in the worst known Ebola outbreak in history, losing more than 4 800 people.

It had twice been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization, once in May and again on September 3, only for new cases to emerge.

Unlike in previous months, there were no barriers or soldiers to enforce quarantines.

 

The Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers has recommended yet another 5% salary increase for President Jacob Zuma for the 2015/16 financial year.

Salary increases for other Public Office bearers were also recommended.

If approved, the increase would boost Zuma’s salary by over R100 000, from R2.75-million to R2.89-million, while Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa would go from a R2.6-million pay check to just over R2.7-million.

In a statement issued on Friday, the group also suggested a 5% increase for Speaker of National Parliament, chairperson of National Council of Provinces, and chief justice, members of national and provincial executive, deputy ministers, members of Parliament and Provincial legislatures.

In June this year, there was an outcry from political parties when Zuma’s increase came before Parliament for approval.

 

Also making headlines:

Nehawu parliament employees would carry on striking in Parliament today.

The ANC in the Western Cape warned the DA that its days of controlling the City of Cape Town were numbered.

EFF leader Julius Malema said President Jacob Zuma was not laughing at all South Africans but just those who voted for him.

And, a 10-day state of emergency has been declared in Mali after at least 21 people were killed by terrorists in a Bamako hotel.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today