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Thursday, July 11, 2002 - Web posted at 4:52:11 pm GMT

SOUTH Africa's media yesterday saluted the creation of the new AU and President Thabo Mbeki's firm grip on its tiller as new president, but noted that unchartered waters remained for the new organisation.

'Mbeki in the driving seat' read the headline in the Johannesburg-based daily The Star.

Business Day echoed with 'Mbeki takes Africa's hot seat as continent unites', noting that his inaugural speech at the AU launch in Durban signalled a bigger role for South Africa in the continent's affairs.

Mbeki's address to heads of state, including long-time leaders such as Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Muammar Gaddafi, Mbeki's speech "was almost defiant", the newspaper said, "and a fresh signal that he intends to flex South Africa's diplomatic muscle more aggressively in the affairs of the continent."

Business Day noted that the only way to moved forward with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), Africa's homegrown economic plan, was through a peer review mechanism.

"Whether or not the mechanism has any teeth depends on the carrying out of measures against a delinquent country to bring it back into line," the paper said.

Nepad calls for increased aid and access to world markets in exchange for good political and economic governance and democracy in Africa, including a peer review mechanism.

For its part, The Star noted that even though the "AU is different from the OAU - often written off as a club of dictators - Africa's 'grand chefs' were much in evidence at the public launch" of the AU in Durban.

The paper also regretted that the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe was totally absent from the agenda, but pointed out that Mugabe had kept a low profile at the launch.

Johannesburg daily The Sowetan, which caters mainly for a black readers, headlined with 'Mbeki at the helm of Africa's future' saying the South African leader was now in a much better position to mediate in conflicts on the continent.

"This makes Mbeki's role as Africa's sheriff more obligatory. It also confirms Mbeki's position as one of Africa's key leaders in dealing with the world's richest nations, the G8."

The Natal Witness, a Durban-based paper, headlined its front page with 'The moment of hope', saying Mbeki's speech at the AU launch expressed a will end war and poverty on the continent. - Nampa-AFP

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