Wednesday, February 10, 2010
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Brindaveni Naidoo.
Making headlines:
Government lawyers are studying a ruling by the High Court in Johannesburg compelling the State to compensate a Free State farmer for property seized from him in Zimbabwe. On Friday, the High Court in Johannesburg ordered the South African government to compensate Crawford von Abo, after several of his farms in Zimbabwe were seized under that government's land reform programme. Government may be forced to pay up to R500-million to the farmer. Last year, the Constitutional Court declined to confirm an order that would have made the President responsible for Von Abo's struggle to get diplomatic protection from Zimbabwe's land seizures. Like many other landowners, Von Abo was not compensated for his losses and, after exhausting his legal options in Zimbabwe, turned to the South African government for diplomatic protection. He had been trying to get the South African government to intervene for the past eight years.
The delay in reforming Zimbabwe's State institutions is contributing to the continuing human rights abuse and harassment in that country, said Amnesty International (AI) yesterday. AI Africa director Erwin van der Borght said that by delaying reform, the situation in Zimbabwe remains fragile, as perpetrators continue to escape justice and are effectively given the all-clear to continue violating human rights. Army backed Zanu-PF supporters are reportedly threatening villagers in some parts of the country with violence, to force them to endorse the heavily criticised Kariba draft constitution. The document, agreed by unity government parties in September 2007, has been strongly criticised by civil society organisations as an attempt to impose a constitution without consultation. Van der Borght called on President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to "fulfil their promise to reform State institutions", to end human rights violations.
To make South Africa competitive in a future where the carbon footprint of a product will be a determinant for trade, the South African government needs to reassess the previously successful energy intensive strategy, which was based on cheap electricity from coal and high emissions. Addressing participants gathered at a climate change workshop in Johannesburg yesterday, independent climate change consultant Dave Collins emphasised that for companies to thrive in a low-carbon economy they should question whether or not their long-term strategies took into account the full effects of climate change and the end of cheap energy, as well as the potential cost of emissions. South Africa's Department of Water and Environmental Affairs has previously indicated that it plans to have the country's draft national climate change policy released for public comment by the middle of the year, with the final version completed by the end of 2010.
Also making headlines:
The African National Congress in Mpumalanga province distances itself from a "hit-list" plot allegedly targeting people who stood in the way of access to World Cup tenders.
The United Nations says that it regrets Chad's request for peacekeepers to withdraw and defended itself against allegations that the force has been a failure.
The State Security Ministry says that it is unconstitutional to summon an ex-intelligence official to testify in Jackie Selebi's trial without permission.
And, Nigeria's Parliament recognises Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan as acting Head of State in the absence of the ailing President.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.