Tuesday, August 18, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines:
Problems in the organisational structure of the African National Congress (ANC) have led to a lack of accountability by local councillors, said ANC veteran and former speaker of Parliament Frene Ginwala yesterday.
When the ANC returned from exile, Ginwala explained, it decided not to establish a parliamentary party, but to retain the branch as the basic unit of organisation and decision making. "We did not consider adequately, the link between the branch and local government," Ginwala said.
Speaking at the annual Ruth First lecture, Ginwala said that while ANC branches are intended to hold local government accountable, this does not happen in reality, as the organisational mechanisms for such accountability do not exist.
"Rarely has action been taken against councillors who are corrupt and ignore the ANC structures," she said.

Human rights groupings around the world are calling for an end to the bloc system in the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, which they say enables countries guilty of gross human rights abuses to sit on the body.In an appeal sent to the 47 governments on the Human Rights Council, 74 nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) called on all UN member States to bring vote trading arrangements and uncompetitive elections for the council to an end, as the credibility of the council and its ability to respond to human rights violations hang in the balance.When first mooted by the then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, the council was to be composed of nations with at least a relatively clean record, elected on the basis of their contribution "to [the] promotion and protection of human rights". But, countries in the UN General Assembly, decided to appoint council members on the basis of lists proposed by the regional groupings in the world body. Diplomats say that countries outside the council get protection from criticism, in return for supporting their regional candidates.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has ignored the deadline set by President Jacob Zuma for the opposition to comment on his nomination of Judge Sandile Ngcobo as Chief Justice, and has urged him to reconsider the matter.
DA leader Helen Zille says that any comment would be "redundant" because Zuma has repeatedly indicated that the opposition's input, which he wanted by Monday, would not change his decision. She also cited a statement by Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, that the Presidency "cannot withdraw" the nomination.
Zille said that in "closing his mind" to opposition input, the President had flaunted the Constitution, which requires proper consultation, and thereby opened the door to the abuse of power.

Also making headlines:
South African President Jacob Zuma says that government is seeking a new land model for rural development.
Rebels attack a World Food Programme compound in southern Somalia.
And, US President Barack Obama looks to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for help in the Middle East peace process.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.