Wednesday September 28, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Natalie Greve

Making headlines:

The controversial spy tapes that got President Jacob Zuma off the hook on corruption charges were declared illegal during a labour dispute at the CCMA, according to a newspaper report yesterday. The dispute is between the head of the Special Investigations Unit Willie Hofmeyr and his former deputy, Faiek Davids, The Times reported. Ruling in Davids' unfair dismissal application, Bart Ford, a senior commissioner at the CCMA, found that the recordings were illegally obtained and could not be used in the arbitration hearing. Ford's ruling is related only to Davids' challenge.

Zimbabwe will soon probe foreign-owned firms to establish their level of compliance with a law requiring them to sell at least a 51% shareholding in their Zimbabwean operations to locals, an official said. The heavily criticised law is aimed mainly at mining firms and banks operating in a resource-rich State that has become an economic basket case because of what analysts say are years of mismanagement by President Robert Mugabe's government. Critics see the law as a way for the government to squeeze cash out of foreign firms in Zimbabwe and say the money will go to top officials, not to ordinary people, who rank among the poorest in the world.

The ANC has set up a committee to consider further public submissions on the Protection of State Information Bill after postponing the Parliamentary vote on the Bill last week. "The committee will be responsible for co-ordinating public engagement with representatives from civil society, non governmental and community-based organisations and interested individuals on the draft bill," the office of ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga said. The committee would hold public meetings across the country to hear people's views on the bill.

Also making headlines:
Democratic Alliance national spokesperson Lindiwe Mazibuko announced yesterday that she will stand for the post of Parliamentary leader of the party.
The Supreme Court of Appeal has found that trade unions can be held liable for damage caused by workers during strikes.
And, an elder from Muammar Gaddafi's tribe inside the besieged city of Sirte has asked government forces for a truce, a local commander said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.