Top news items in major S. African media outlets

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The following are news items in South African major news outlets on Wednesday.

-- Proposed draft regulations for a state of emergency would give the president the right to appoint a "control officer", who would have far-reaching powers, including the prohibition of the dissemination of information.

A "reasonable" member of a security service would also have the authority to make arrests without a warrant. (News24)

-- A post matric qualification and security clearance should be the minimum benchmark for public representatives, former African National Congress (ANC) activist Siyanda Mhlongo said on Tuesday.

Giving evidence before the Moerane Commission, Mhlongo suggested that this could help in dealing with the political killings that have engulfed the ruling party in KwaZulu-Natal Province. (Independent Online)

-- South Africans' trust in politicians is on the decline. More than half of citizens of voting age surveyed for the latest reconciliation barometer said voting is meaningless because politicians can't be trusted.

A quarter of those polled by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation say they don't feel close to any political party.(Eyewitness News) Enditem