December 09, 2015
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Natalie Greve.
Making headlines:

KZN ANC says it’s all systems go for eThekwini regional conference. 

The World Health Organisation says malaria deaths drops to below half a million.

And, today is d-day for the SAA gag order hearing.

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday said it was ready to convene the eThekwini regional conference on December 12 and 13.

Provincial secretary Super Zuma said that all branches had managed to hold Branch General Meetings.

The eThekwini region, the ANC’s biggest region, had been marred by controversy over the party failing to convene a successful conference.

The highly contested regional chairperson position was being contested by eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo and councillor Zandile Gumede.

The eThekwini conference was scheduled to convene on October 4 but was indefinitely adjourned in May after disgruntled members, believed to be from Gumede’s faction, disrupted proceedings.

The number of people killed by malaria dropped below half a million in the past year, reflecting vast progress against the mosquito-borne disease in some of the previously hardest-hit areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Health Organization’s annual malaria report showed deaths falling to 438 000 in 2015 – down dramatically from 839 000 in 2000.

The report found a significant increase in the number of countries moving towards the elimination of malaria.

Margaret Chan, the organisation’s director general, said the progress had been made possible "through the massive rollout" of effective prevention and treatment tools.

An application by South African Airways (or SAA) to have a gag order against three media outlets made final is set to be heard in the Gauteng High Court today.

The order related to a leaked memo that SAA wanted kept confidential, because, it said, it could harm the state-owned company in litigation over disputes with companies like Airbus.

In its application to have a court order prohibiting publication of the contents of the memo made final, SAA denied that its application for an urgent interdict on 23 November to halt publication was done in bad faith.

This comes after several media groups, including City Press and Fin24, published information from a leaked memo last month.

Journalists had been focusing on SAA’s financial crisis, which had been exacerbated by the  controversial Airbus deal.

Also making headlines:

The Inkatha Freedom Party had lashed out at the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier, saying they were “uncomfortable” with the treatment of King Goodwill Zwelithini and the royal family.

Rwanda sets a date for the referendum to extend the presidential term limit.

And, deposed former Central African Republic ruler Francois Bozize was barred from elections.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter[@PolityZA]
That’s a roundup of news making headlines today