October 12, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

The ANC wants South Africa to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.

The polls open in Guinea election amid tight security.

And, e-tolls were discussed at the ANC National General Council meeting.

 

The African National Congress (or ANC) wants South Africa to begin the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (or ICC).

The ruling party's international relations subcommittee chairperson Obed Bapela said they believed that the ICC had lost its direction.

Speaking at the ANC National General Council meeting, Bapela said that the principles that led South Africa to be members of the ICC remained valid and relevant.

However, he added that the ICC had lost its direction and was no longer pursuing the principle of an instrument that was fair for everybody.

He said the decision was not selfish as South Africa would continue to carry the flag of human rights and an end to genocide.

ANC Women's League treasurer-general and International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the matter was already on the agenda for the upcoming Assembly of State Parties meeting which would be attended by all ICC members in November.

She said it would also be tabled at the African Union summit, which will be held in January.

 

Long lines formed in front of guarded polling booths across Guinea on Sunday as the West African country voted in its second free election in nearly 60 years since independence.

Guinea – Africa's leading producer of bauxite, the raw material for aluminium – has a history of election violence linked to ethnic tensions, including in a 2010 vote that brought President Alpha Conde to power.

The streets were calm in the capital Conakry on Sunday after clashes last week between security forces and supporters of rival parties that left several dead and dozens injured.

Conde is widely expected to win a second mandate, though analysts expect the results to be close enough to require a second round.

Meanwhile, his opponents – including main rival Cellou Dalein Diallo  – had sought a postponement of the vote, citing irregularities.

 

Chairperson of the Economic Transformation commissions, Enoch Gondongwana, said e-tolls were discussed at length during the National General Council meeting, particularly by people from Gauteng.

He said delegates expressed their appreciation to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in trying to craft a compromise but the problem was that the compromise had not been implemented. He said it was creating a bit of agitation.  

Godongwana said the African National Congress (or ANC) was calling for the speedy implementation of the compromise.

He added that peopl in Gauteng had said e-tolls had some form of economic impact on a number of people, particularly on certain sectors of society.

In October, the ANC Youth League (or ANCYL) vowed that it would lobby the mother body in a bid to have e-tolls scrapped.

 

Also making headlines:

The ruling party said South Africa needed a proper policy to safeguard historic monuments and statues.

President Jacob Zuma said although the African National Congress's membership numbers had dropped it was expected to reach 1.3-million in the near future.

And, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson has warned new laws would be brought in to deal with media houses that report on factions within the ruling party.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter[@PolityZA]
That’s a roundup of news making headlines today