![JOHANNESBURG, Dec 10 (Reuters) - South Africa’s ruling African National Congress meets from Dec. 16-20 to choose a new leader amid some of the worst factionalism in its history. The infighting has overshadowed a wide range of challenges facing the government. Here are some details of South Africa’s main issues. * CRIME: — South Africa is battling some of the highest rates of murder and rape in the world, and opposition groups and media have accused the government of failing to curb crime. — South Africa has said it will boost spending on fighting crime and improving the criminal justice system to combat violent crime, as part of efforts to make the streets safe before the country hosts the 2010 soccer World Cup. *POVERTY — South Africa’s government is pushing a programme to lift growth to an average of more than 6 percent by 2010 to try to slash widespread poverty and cut high unemployment. — The South African Institute for Race Relations, a thinktank, recently came under criticism by the government for saying the number of South Africans living on less than $1 per day climbed from 1.9 million to 3.6 million between 1996 and 2001. However, the research showed that after 2002 this number declined because social grants increased by 300 percent between 2001 and 2006. * CORRUPTION: — The latest African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) report on good governance in South Africa identified crime, graft and xenophobia as potential pitfalls for the continent’s biggest economy. It placed official corruption among the country’s biggest problems. — Another report in late 2006 by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation said well-connected people, including members of the new black elite, were using ties to the government to get rich. * AIDS: — Some 5.5 million people (or about 12 percent of a population of 47 million) have HIV. There are 500,000 new infections every year, including 100,000 children, and each year 400,000 people die from the virus, UNICEF said last month. — South African officials, including President Thabo Mbeki, have infuriated AIDS activists by questioning accepted science around the virus. — Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has been dubbed “Dr. Beetroot” for her promotion of beetroot, garlic and other foods as a treatment of HIV/AIDS. * LAND: — Disproportionate ownership of land by the white minority is an emotive issue in South Africa. Land reform has become a hot issue because of the seizures of white farms in neighbouring Zimbabwe and its catastrophic effect on that country’s economy. — Mbeki’s government has vowed to put a third of all arable land in black hands by 2014, but more than 90 percent is still owned by the white minority. * ENERGY: — State-owned electricity utility Eskom [ESCJ.J], the world’s lowest-cost electricity producer, has been criticised for power shortages. — Eskom, which generates the vast majority of South Africa’s power, has applied to the energy regulator for an 18 percent rise in energy prices in 2008 and a 17 percent rise in 2009, to help pay for new power generation capacity. (Writing by David Cutler; Additional writing by Nagesh Narayana; Editing by Michael Georgy) © Reuters 2007](http://27.media.tumblr.com/ul9pcjJ2U2sq9n9dtFTLkU0Y_400.jpg)
JOHANNESBURG, Dec 10 (Reuters) - South Africa’s ruling African National Congress meets from Dec. 16-20 to choose a new leader amid some of the worst factionalism in its history.
The infighting has overshadowed a wide range of challenges facing the government.
Here are some details of South Africa’s main issues.
* CRIME:
— South Africa is battling some of the highest rates of murder and rape in the world, and opposition groups and media have accused the government of failing to curb crime.
— South Africa has said it will boost spending on fighting crime and improving the criminal justice system to combat violent crime, as part of efforts to make the streets safe before the country hosts the 2010 soccer World Cup.
*POVERTY
— South Africa’s government is pushing a programme to lift growth to an average of more than 6 percent by 2010 to try to slash widespread poverty and cut high unemployment.
— The South African Institute for Race Relations, a thinktank, recently came under criticism by the government for saying the number of South Africans living on less than $1 per day climbed from 1.9 million to 3.6 million between 1996 and 2001. However, the research showed that after 2002 this number declined because social grants increased by 300 percent between 2001 and 2006.
* CORRUPTION:
— The latest African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) report on good governance in South Africa identified crime, graft and xenophobia as potential pitfalls for the continent’s biggest economy. It placed official corruption among the country’s biggest problems.
— Another report in late 2006 by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation said well-connected people, including members of the new black elite, were using ties to the government to get rich.
* AIDS:
— Some 5.5 million people (or about 12 percent of a population of 47 million) have HIV. There are 500,000 new infections every year, including 100,000 children, and each year 400,000 people die from the virus, UNICEF said last month.
— South African officials, including President Thabo Mbeki, have infuriated AIDS activists by questioning accepted science around the virus.
— Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has been dubbed “Dr. Beetroot” for her promotion of beetroot, garlic and other foods as a treatment of HIV/AIDS.
* LAND:
— Disproportionate ownership of land by the white minority is an emotive issue in South Africa. Land reform has become a hot issue because of the seizures of white farms in neighbouring Zimbabwe and its catastrophic effect on that country’s economy.
— Mbeki’s government has vowed to put a third of all arable land in black hands by 2014, but more than 90 percent is still owned by the white minority.
* ENERGY:
— State-owned electricity utility Eskom [ESCJ.J], the world’s lowest-cost electricity producer, has been criticised for power shortages.
— Eskom, which generates the vast majority of South Africa’s power, has applied to the energy regulator for an 18 percent rise in energy prices in 2008 and a 17 percent rise in 2009, to help pay for new power generation capacity. (Writing by David Cutler; Additional writing by Nagesh Narayana; Editing by Michael Georgy)
© Reuters 2007
