10:58:03Friday, September 5, 2008.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa unveiled the details of the successor to the Motor Industry Development Programme on Thursday. This followed Cabinet's approval of the scheme on Wednesday.

Mpahlwa said that the new Automotive Production and Development Programme was designed to sustain and expand the automotive industry's material contribution to the South African economy. It'll also deepen its local manufacturing impact. The APDP will run from 2013 until 2020.

He said the Department of Trade and Industry had been working on the successor scheme since 2005. This was in a bid to align the incentive to South Africa's World Trade Organisation commitments, as well as to government's National Industrial Policy Framework. This proposed a doubling in vehicle production to 1,2-million units by 2020.

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Government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday that the incorporation of the high-profile joint initiative on priority skills acquisition into the human resources development strategy for South Africa would be done in such as way as to sustain a high level of private-sector involvement. The HRDS-SA will fall under the care of the Department of Education.

He assured that Jipsa would continue until March 2010. Its work would then be incorporated into the HRDS-SA, which was to be officially launched in March next year.

Maseko acknowledged that the announcement about the future of Jipsa had probably not been well handled.

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Botswana Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Minister Ponatshego Kedikilwe said on Thursday that Botswana was negotiating an "accelerated" power programme to deliver more electricity "far earlier".

Kedikilwe told the Africa Downunder conference in Australia that he would "pat himself on the back" if he could bring on an additional 250 MW of power by 2010.

He said that the proposed 250 MW was planned by an independent power project, for which the law had been amended and which would make use of coal-bed methane.

Also making headlines:

Aviva will submit a 1 000-MW power proposal to Eskom on Wednesday
Oil falls towards $107 on dollar and economic fears
A decision on the Lesotho Highlands Water expansion project is expected by year-end
The South African Chamber of Mines says South Africa's second quarter gold output was down 10,4% on power constraints
Agnico-Eagle enters a new 300-million dollar credit facility
And, Exxaro commissions a 1,5-million ton a year coal mine in South Africa

In political news:

The UN says that the East Congo risks plunging back into war
Republican John McCain says "change is coming" to America
Russian allies fail to back Moscow on enclaves
And, Cosatu may be Jacob Zuma's court friend

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, visit engineeringnews.co.za, miningweekly.com and polity.org.za

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