Thursday September 08, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Jessica Hannah

Making headlines:

A new Black Business Council will be formed, under the chairmanship of businessperson Patrice Motsepe, as an umbrella body to ensure unity among black business.

At a Black Business Summit, yesterday, it was said that black business would also immediately suspend its participation in Business Unity South Africa. This Summit is believed to mark the beginning of a new era in that black business is defining its own agenda and taking control of its own destiny. Further, it will shape the South African economy, which will lead to an economic revolution that will see the country establishing itself as a global powerhouse.

South Africa moved up four places in the latest global competiveness ranking, and ranked second among the Brics countries. South Africa ranked 50th in the World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012’, which was topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore and Sweden. China, the world’s most populous country, continues to lead the Brics economies by a significant margin, ranking 26th. Brazil ranked 53rd, India 56th and Russia 66th in the competiveness index.

President Jacob Zuma is "applying his mind" on the possible appointment of Constitutional Court judge Mogoeng Mogoeng as South Africa's next chief justice, says his spokesperson Mac Maharaj. Maharaj says there is no timeframe for a public announcement on his decision, as some NGOs have kept up their campaign to not have Mogoeng appointed. The Nobel Women's Initiative joined organisations urging Zuma to withdraw his nomination, says the Sonke Gender Justice Network and members of the Nobel Women's Initiative who are also Nobel laureates, feel that Mogoeng's many rulings undermined women's rights, and were at odds with values enshrined in the Constitution.

Also making headlines:
The world needs to redouble efforts to fight climate change ahead of global talks in Durban, with time running out to save millions of lives in countries to be hit hardest, says UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.
South Africa Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies says that grants worth R157.76-million have been approved as part of the business process outsourcing incentive scheme.

And, Niger Justice Minister Marou Amadou says Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is not in Niger and movements of Libyan convoys into the country in recent days have been much smaller than widely reported in the media.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.