Thursday June 30, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

The picture painted of government programmes by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) can be disturbing at times, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said. "To this end we have openly and upfront encouraged feedback, qualitative research, including constructive criticism," Mthethwa added. He said xenophobia would not be tolerated by government and so Cabinet had re-established the Inter-Ministerial Committee on xenophobia and police. Programmes were also set up to engage with communities and implement educational and awareness campaigns.

The European Union (EU) will soon appoint a special envoy to North Africa to sharpen its policy in the region and try to build influence at a time of rapid political change, EU officials said. The bloc's 27 governments are eager to strengthen their international clout and forge a clearer approach to the southern Mediterranean, following criticism that the EU has too often turned a blind eye to undemocratic regimes in the region. If approved by member states, Bernardino Leon, a senior foreign policy adviser in the Spanish government, will be appointed to the post, which will involve primary responsibility for Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Libya and Algeria.

Only seven municipalities out of 237 received a clean audit for the 2009/10 financial year, Auditor General Terence Nombembe announced. He was heartened by improvements at municipalities, but at the same time warns that much improvement is needed, he told the National Press Club in Pretoria at the release of his Consolidated General Report on the Local Government Audit Outcomes. There were 51 municipalities whose audit reports had not been finalised by January 31, 2011.

Also making headlines:
South Sudan urged the United States to lift sanctions on Sudan ahead of the southern region's independence on July 9 to avoid hitting the new nation's oil-based economy.
Nato warships off the Libyan coast fired on government forces near the strategic town of Zlitan where they are blocking rebels from advancing on the capital, a rebel spokesperson said.
And, Senegal said that it had deployed the army to help end a spate of riots that destroyed state buildings and left charred vehicles in the streets of the capital Dakar.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.