For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: AfriForum hits back at Ramaphosa’s accusations of sowing division; G20 finance meeting ends without consensus; And, Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge

AfriForum hits back at Ramaphosa’s accusations of sowing division

Lobby group AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has reiterated his accusation that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the African National Congress are causing division, this after Ramaphosa said AfriForum and Solidarity “spawned division” with a visit to the US this week.

The Solidarity Movement and its organisations held meetings with representatives of US President Donald Trump’s administration to discuss concerns regarding South Africa’s policies.

Following discussions with US representatives, the Solidarity Movement issued a warning to the South African government that a Bill is being considered by the US to review bilateral relations between both countries.

Many have labelled the Solidarity Movement and its associated organisations as “treasonous”, with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party recently opening a case of treason against AfriForum.

However, the Solidarity Movement and its organisations have instead blamed the South African government, and particularly the ANC, for alienating the US and straining tensions.

Kriel said Ramaphosa and the leaders of the ANC must accept responsibility for the division they were sowing.

G20 finance meeting ends without consensu

South Africa voiced dismay that Group of 20 talks it hosted on global economic issues ended without consensus, after top officials from several countries skipped it and delegates remained far apart on issues such as climate finance.

The two-day G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Cape Town failed to come up with a joint communique. However a "chair's summary" issued by the host said participants "reiterated the commitment to resisting protectionism."

The summary added they had "supported a rules-based, non-discriminatory, fair, open, inclusive, equitable, sustainable and transparent multilateral trading system," using several words the Trump administration has already strongly objected to.

South Africa had hoped to make the G20 a platform for putting pressure on rich countries to do more to tackle climate change, to give more towards poorer countries' transitions to green energy and to reform a financial system that favours investment banks at the expense of poor sovereign debtors.

But the talks were overshadowed by the absence of several key finance chiefs - such as from the United States, China, India and Japan - and foreign aid cuts by major economies like the United States and Britain, against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions.

South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said he was "not happy" the G20 meeting could not issue a joint communique.

And, Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge

Namibia's Supreme Court today dismissed a challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, clearing the way for the ruling party's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office next month.

The Southern African country's SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3-million people for more than three decades, won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

Opposition parties alleged the election was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.

Namibia's Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled that the decision to extend voting was lawful and dismissed the challenge brought by the Independent Patriots for Change, which came second in the polls.

In its case, the IPC was joined by another opposition party, the Landless People's Movement.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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