Thursday October 13, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa urged British business to reach across government policies and political divides and expand trade with South Africa. "We should ensure that we work very hard towards achieving our goal of doubling the trade between our countries by 2015," Phosa said in his speech delivered at the Progressive Business Forum (PBF) gathering in London on Tuesday night. "We should work towards that goal whatever the policy and political challenges are that face both the British and South African governments." The PBF is the business arm of the ANC.

Celebratory bursts of gunfire and fireworks lit up the skies over Tripoli yesterday as word spread that Libyan government fighters had captured Muammar Gaddafi's son Mo'tassim in Sirte. The capture of the deposed leader's national security adviser, and the first member of the Gaddafi family, is a big boost to Libya's new rulers whose forces are still battling pro-Gaddafi fighters in his home town. National Transitional Council officials say that Mo'tassim was captured yesterday after he tried to escape the battle-torn city in a car with a family member.

Key national issues, such as the economy, vacancies in the public sector and the performance of government departments fell under the spotlight on Tuesday at a meeting of the President’s Coordinating Council. President Jacob Zuma met with premiers and local government representatives to discuss governance and improving the performance of the State at all three levels. One of the issues discussed was vacancies in the public sector. The Department for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation presented a report on the issue, which found that national and provincial departments had done well in filling vacant posts by the end of the 2010/2011 financial year. Minister in the Presidency, Collins Chabane, said for some vacancies, particularly for highly skilled positions such as engineers, it had been difficult to find candidates.

Also making headlines:

Cameroon's opposition parties said they would ask the Supreme Court to annul Sunday's presidential election because of widespread irregularities.

And, Liberia is to release a first batch of official results from its hotly-contested presidential election, in which incumbent Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is seeking a second term.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.