Tuesday, March 16, 2010

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.

Making headlines:

"Quiet corruption" is pervasive and widespread across Africa, has a disproportionate impact on the poor and will have long-term consequences for the continent's development, states a new report released by the World Bank yesterday.
The bank's ‘Africa Development Indicators 2010' report shows that quiet corruption, described as the failure by public servants to deliver goods or services paid for by government, is less likely to attract public attention than other forms of corruption, but could have harmful long-term consequences, especially for the poor.
World Bank Africa region chief economist Shanta Devarajan says that tackling quiet corruption will require a combination of strong and committed leadership, policies and institutions at the sectoral level, and increased accountability and participation by citizens.
The practice does not necessarily involve any monetary exchange, but entails factors such as absenteeism or the deliberate bending of rules for own benefit by frontline service providers. The researchers note that corruption is embedded in the political economy of Africa.

As the Johannesburg Equality Court yesterday found African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema guilty of hate speech, it served a second complaint against him and the ANC, for defending him, arising from his alleged singing of "shoot the boers".
Clerk of the Court, Richard Maluleke, said that the court acknowledged a complaint against Malema by AfriForum Youth and submitted it to the ANC and the Youth League yesterday.
The Equality Court's magistrate Colleen Collis yesterday found that Malema's statement that President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser had a "nice time", was irresponsible, superfluous and demeaning to women. Malema was ordered to apologise unconditionally and pay R50 000 to a shelter for abused women. He will, however, appeal this judgment.
AfriForum Youth complained to the court on Friday, demanding that Malema apologise for singing the struggle song "Ayesaba amagwala" and for the song to be declared hate speech.

United Nations (UN) climate scientists attacked by sceptics after they published an erroneous global warming forecast won support yesterday from European Union (EU) environment ministers.
Climate scepticism has gathered a pace since the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) admitted in January that its 2007 report had exaggerated the pace at which Himalayan glaciers were melting, and overstated how much of the Netherlands was prone to sea flooding.
The EU ministers said that they considered the IPCC's science "solid and robust" despite the errors, and were convinced that it offers the most authoritative assessment of climate change. The ministers also called for the rapid mobilisation of the $10-billion a year that rich countries have promised to give poor nations to help them tackle climate effects from 2010 to 2012.

Also making headlines:

Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan says that the government is committed to a postamnesty programme to develop the oil-producing Niger Delta, despite attacks on the amnesty talks.
The Western Cape Department of Transport says that African National Congress spokesperson Jackson Mthembu will still be prosecuted for drunken driving despite reports that breathalyser tests will be discontinued.
Sudanese authorities summon editors from two newspapers, accusing them of insulting President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
And, President Jacob Zuma's long-awaited declaration of interests lists gifts and sponsorships ranging from pyjamas to free accommodation for his first wife in Durban.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.