South Africa

By Dale Hes

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has urged South Africans to support government, business and labour by promoting the country in every way possible so as to boost the country’s democracy.

Pietermaritzburg – KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance Ina Cronjé says the fiscal austerity measures which were implemented since 2009/10 have borne fruit, as the province was able to repay its overdraft in 18 months as opposed to the three years it was initially planned to take.

Pretoria - South Africa must strengthen its economic performance as well as increase its level of investment if its economy is to grow, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

Johannesburg – Learning has been made more interesting for learners doing mathematics in Grade 8 and 9, with the launch of a satellite broadcasting programme.

Johannesburg – The Gauteng Provincial Government has appointed audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers as the new administrator tasked with turning around the province’s health department.

Pretoria - SA Air Link became the first airline to land on the new runway of the Mthatha Airport on Thursday, provincial authorities said.

Pretoria – Cabinet has welcomed the incremental introduction of an African language in Grade R and Grade 1 where such languages are not yet offered.

Pretoria - The Green Paper on Policing, which aims to position the South African Police Service (SAPS) to respond to the constantly evolving criminal landscape of the country, has been approved by Cabinet, and will be published in the Government Gazette for public comments.

Pretoria – Cabinet has noted the progress made by the police, community leaders and other structures in Eldorado Park under the leadership of the Gauteng Provincial Government, says Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

Johannesburg – The process of appointing a service provider to clean-up Gauteng’s asset register is at an advanced stage.

Pretoria - Poachers have killed 367 rhino since the beginning of the year, the Environmental Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

Pretoria – The Department of Basic Education, together with the social and law enforcement agencies, has launched a campaign to ensure schools are drug and alcohol free zones.

Pretoria – Cabinet has weighed in on the reported deaths of young initiates, saying while it fully supports the traditions and cultures of all South Africans, these should be balanced with the country’s constitutional rights.

Pretoria – As the Diepsloot area remains tense following days of looting of shops owned by foreign nationals, government has called on communities to be vigilant against the possible resurgence of criminal violence targeting foreigners.