South Africa

Pretoria - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help governments across the continent improve services given to citizens, Communications Minister Dina Pule says.

Soweto - Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini says good progress is being made in the enrolment of social grant beneficiaries on the new biometric-based payment system since the process started on 1 March 2012.

Pretoria - Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has published for public comment the draft Health Care Risk Waste (HCRW) Management Regulations.

Johannesburg - The protracted fight to exclusively own the rights of the name Bafana Bafana between the South African Football Association (Safa) and Stanton Woodrush is finally over.

Pretoria - The Maitland Refugee Reception Office in Cape Town will close at the end of the month, the Department of Home Affairs has announced.

Pretoria - Inclining Block Tariffs (IBT) is benefitting low income domestic customers, a study conducted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has found.

Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Health is expected to speed up the construction of a new multi-drug resistant TB complex at Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has congratulated Ludwick Mamabolo, the 2012 winner of the Comrades Marathon.

Midrand - Government remains committed to working with the mining industry to enable it to achieve optimal returns on investment in a manner that will serve the best medium and long term interests of all South Africans.

Pretoria - Bafana Bafana caretaker coach Steve Komphela will take charge of Bafana's second 2014 World Cup qualifier match against Botswana in Gaborone on Saturday.

Rustenburg - All eyes will be on the Rustenburg Civic Centre in the North West province today as the Farlam Commission of Inquiry, appointed by President Jacob Zuma to probe the killing of 34 mine workers in Marikana in August, begins its work.

Mangaung - Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has called on young people to be actively involved in the preservation of the environment.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma accompanied by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga will over the next two days officially hand over brand new schools to villages at Libode and Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

Rustenburg - The Commission of Inquiry into the Marikana tragedy owed it to the people of South Africa to do its work as expeditious as possible without fear or favour, Commission Chairperson and retired judge Ian Farlam said.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has visited former President Nelson Mandela at a Pretoria hospital.