South Africa

Pretoria - Government has welcomed the Western Cape High Court ruling which has found Xolile Mngeni guilty of the premeditated murder of Anni Dewani.

Pretoria - Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe says following a decrease in commercial activity between South Africa and Turkey, the two countries should renew efforts to increase trade.

Pretoria - Accounting officers in government could in future be punished for failing to pay suppliers of services within the stipulated 30 days, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told the SABC on Wednesday.

Pretoria - The attainment of goals set for the Health Department's Negotiated Service Delivery Agreement (NSDA) will receive sharp scrutiny as Health Deputy Minister, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa continues to assess the performance of health district services.

Durban - Africa is setting the example in tackling land degradation with some encouraging results.

Pretoria - South African National Parks announced that to date, 405 rhinos have been poached throughout the country this year.

Cape Town - Despite President Jacob Zuma indicating that schooling should be obligatory, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has said that it remains a legal challenge to force offenders to attend school.

Johannesburg - None of the departments in the Gauteng Provincial Government are under any provincial administration from the national government.

Pretoria - Limpopo Health MEC Dikeledi Magadzi has encouraged families of patients with mental conditions to keep them in a familiar environment with family and community members and consider institutionalisation as the last resort.

Pretoria - National Treasury on Tuesday invited banks to submit bids for the issuing of Islamic bonds (Sukuk) in local and international markets.

Pretoria - Banyana Banyana and their Russian-based striker Nompumelelo Nyandeni have both been nominated for the African Football Confederation (CAF) awards.
The CAF awards will be held in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday, 22 December. The annual event is the continent's premier awards which recognise the best achievers in African football for the year.

Durban - While the climate change conference in Durban may not be able to produce a legally binding second commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries need to give guarantees that they will sign for a new commitment period post 2012.

Durban - As the pressure to address climate change continues to mount at COP17, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon warned on Tuesday that the world was in danger.

Pretoria - South Africa has condemned the grenade attacks at a nightclub and bus terminal in Kenya.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has appointed Free State High Court President Hendrick Mmoli Thekiso Musi as a member of the Commission of Inquiry into the so-called arms deal.