July 10, 2013.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Schalk Burger.
Making headlines:

President Jacob Zuma ousts rival Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale in Cabinet reshuffle.

Egypt looks forward to new elections after a week of bloodshed.

And, Agang SA Leader Mamphela Ramphele says delay in electricity generation at the Medupi power station will hit the country's poorest households the hardest.

South African President Jacob Zuma replaced Tokyo Sexwale as housing minister in a cabinet shake-up on Tuesday, removing the anti-apartheid stalwart who has criticised his rival's stewardship of Africa's biggest economy.

In a reshuffle less than a year before Zuma seeks re-election to another five-year term, embattled communications minister Dina Pule was also ousted, along with the minister of traditional affairs, Richard Baloyi.

Zuma is almost assured of victory in the 2014 election given his ruling ANC's stranglehold over politics. However, international credit agencies have downgraded South Africa in the last year, citing Zuma's ineffectual leadership among other long-term risks.

Sexwale was among a group of senior African National Congress members looking to replace Zuma last year, although Zuma is almost assured of being the party's presidential candidate in 2014 after winning an ANC leadership contest in December.

Egypt's interim authorities, boosted by $8-billion in Gulf aid, have begun work on forming a cabinet on Wednesday. This comes a week after the army ousted democratically elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, leading to a wave of violence in which at least 90 people were killed.

Events of the last seven days are sure to overshadow the normally festive start to the fasting month of Ramadan, which begins on Wednesday. Egypt's 84-million people are more divided than at any other time in their modern history.

The authorities announced an investigation into 650 suspects for offences from "thuggery" to murder and terrorism. Meanwhile, Egyptian state media praised the army and denounced Monday's violence as the work of terrorists.

Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele said on Tuesday that a six month delay in electricity generation at the Medupi power station, in Limpopo, will hit the country's poorest households the hardest. She said the Eskom Medupi fiasco comes at a time when electricity prices are already rocketing and that ordinary citizens cannot afford to pay more only to see more blackouts.

On Monday, Eskom said the Medupi power station would probably start generating electricity only in the second half of 2014, and blamed technical problems for the delay. It also said construction of the power station was expected to cost R105-billion instead of the expected R91.2-billion.

Ramphele said the failure to bring Medupi on line would affect the competitiveness of business and the country as a whole. She added that the blame must be shared, between the minister, Eskom management and the contractors Hitachi and Alstom.

Also making headlines:

The presidency says former President Nelson Mandela is still in a critical, but stable condition.

Deputy International Relations Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim says Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi’s removal breaches African Union laws.

Guinea's long-delayed legislative election body will be held on September 24.

And, the Energy Intensive User Group warns that Eskom’s coal ‘cliff’ could deal another blow to the already battered South African electricity outlook.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.