May 23, 2013.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Shannon de Ryhove.
Making headlines:

The Gupta report is released as opposition parties lambast President Jacob Zuma.
Canada seeks to strengthen its trade ties with South Africa, but mutual ‘trust’ is essential.
And, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa launches an environmental-impact mitigation guideline for the mining industry.

Government released the full report on the Gupta scandal on Wednesday amid a parliamentary debate in which the opposition blamed the president personally for the incident, saying he should pay for it at the polls next year.

The 30-page report exonerates President Jacob Zuma and his ministers and finds that the landing of the plane, chartered by the Guptas, at the Waterkloof Air Force Base was the result of "manipulation by a few".

These included the wealthy family, members of the Indian High Commission, suspended government chief of protocol Bruce Koloane, and a senior Waterkloof official.

But the findings were dismissed as a "whitewash" by one opposition speaker after the other, in a heated debate in the National Assembly that provided a foretaste of the 2014 election campaign. Democratic Alliance defence spokesperson David Maynier suggested that "the root cause of the problem, which led to 'Guptagate', was President Jacob Zuma".

Canada’s Governor General David Johnston said at a networking lunch on Wednesday that the north American country welcomed the opportunity to develop stronger business and commercial ties with South Africa, as many Canadians perceived the country as an important gateway to the continent.

He cautioned, however, that this was dependent on a continued sense of national trust between the two States.

The High Commission of Canada said the purpose of the three-day State visit by the dignitary was to explore ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation in various sectors and to promote innovation, economic development and education.

While the two countries had long been significant partners in trade and development, Johnston was “encouraged” by the continued deepening and maturing of commercial ties and saw good potential for further collaboration.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has launched a guideline document to provide the mining sector with directives on how to avoid, limit or remedy mining impacts as part of a thorough environmental-impact assessment and robust environmental management programme.

The  report established a four-step mitigation hierarchy aimed at encouraging proactive planning to prevent the disturbance of ecosystems and biodiversity as a first approach.

Molewa said the Constitution recognised the vital role of both ecological and mineral resources in a development path, noting that these were not necessarily opposing objectives.

Also making headlines:

Madagascar's finance minister says economic growth could be hit by uncertainty surrounding elections scheduled for the second half of the year.

Fighting in Sudan's Darfur region displaces 300 000 people.

And, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant says that she’ll meet with the trade union leadership to discuss the “adversarial nature” of the country’s industrial relations and explore ways to arrest the “potential threat” to the system of collective bargaining.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.