South Africa

Cape Town – Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula says a majority of his department’s budget will be set aside to support grass-root development.

Pretoria – The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will today launch its Book Flood Campaign in celebration of International Nelson Mandela Day.

Pretoria – South Africans have heeded the call to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to clean their communities on Mandela Day on Friday.

Pretoria - The Reserve Bank has decided to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points, taking it to 5.75%, Governor Gill Marcus said on Thursday.

Mthatha - All schools should have laboratories and learners should be able to use gadgets like Ipads for learning and communicating, Deputy Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said on Thursday.

Pretoria - South Africa has hailed the establishment of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), adding that all resolutions and declarations taken at the summit were done on an equal basis.

Pretoria - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan has set the bar high for municipalities, saying they must have sound financial management in the next five years.

Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma has hailed the establishment of the first BRICS Development Bank as "an everlasting legacy that will change the face of global economics and the face of all the developing world for the better.”

Pretoria - Social cohesion and economic transformation are at the heart of the Arts and Culture Ministry.

Pretoria – South African Revenue Services branches will stay open for an extra 67 minutes on Friday to assist taxpayers.

Cape Town - Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says her department will allocate R103 million over the next three years to the SA National Parks aimed at fighting the scourge of rhino poaching.

Johannesburg – E-toll panel members, appointed to assess the impact of e-tolls in Gauteng, are meeting for the first time today.

Pretoria - Government recognises that accessibility to affordable, safe and reliable transport remains a challenge in certain areas, said Transport Minister Dipuo Peters.

Mthatha – An innovative initiative by government to supply modern technology equipment to disadvantaged schools in rural areas is set to change the face of these schools.

Pretoria – The Presidency says President Jacob Zuma is still preparing the report to the Speaker of the National Assembly on the upgrades at his Nkandla home.