Thursday March 8, 2012

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Shannon de Ryhove

Making headlines:

Suspended national police chief Bheki Cele occasionally signed off on official documents from his deputies without scrutinising them, a board of inquiry into allegations of misconduct against him heard. Cele made the admission during his testimony in the investigation to establish whether he violated procurement regulations on two police lease agreements. Cross-examined by evidence leader Viwe Notshe, he explained that he had entrusted his deputies to make certain decisions, which he did not question, and would sign documents "as prepared".

Sudan's armed forces and a rebel group clashed in the Western Darfur region, both sides said of the latest violence in the troubled region. Army spokesperson Sawarmi Khalid Saad said the army had attacked fighters of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in the area of Baashim in North Darfur. JEM spokesperson Gibreel Adam Bilal confirmed fighting in the area but said the rebels had launched an attack and destroyed several army vehicles.

The biggest challenge that could hinder the success of the National Planning Commission’s (NPC’s) National Development Plan (NDP) was implementation, NPC commissioner Bobby Godsell said. A draft version of the plan was currently under discussion, with the public and business sectors having until the end of March to submit their suggestions through public discussion forums or via email. Speaking at a dialogue event to gain local business’s feedback on the NDP, Godsell said the aim of the discussion was to allow the business sector to make input into the plan before its tabling before Cabinet in the middle of the year.

Also making headlines:

The private operator of Gauteng's controversial tolls is going to "milk" the public, Cosatu said in a memorandum prepared for handing over during its anti-toll protest yesterday.

And, South Africa’s Water Research Commission is moving ahead with a comprehensive new study of the country’s water resources, including its groundwater resources, in a bid to update the existing database and baselines, which were last assessed in 2005.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.