South Africa

Pretoria - Germany remains an important agricultural investment partner for South Africa - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said on Monday.

Pretoria – The Gauteng Health Department says it is working on improving the waiting periods for patients who are in need of surgery, and has implemented interventions to reduce the backlogs at public hospitals across the province.

Pretoria – The National Youth Development Agency has called on employers across all industries in South Africa to support the recently released Youth Employment Accord, a government-led initiative aimed at tackling economic challenges facing the youth.

Pretoria - South African Airways (SAA) and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), allowing the two airlines to introduce a comprehensive range of codeshare and interline air services.

Pretoria - National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) newly elected chairperson Yeshen Pillay says the agency remains a critical vehicle for youth development in South Africa, saying much of the criticism against it has been mainly about administrative issues.

Pretoria – South Africa and Vietnam have signed an action plan to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on Biodiversity Conservation and Protection.

Pretoria - South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 25.2% in the first quarter of 2013 following a decline in the fourth quarter of 2012, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Monday.

Ga-Rankuwa – Gauteng MEC for Health, Hope Papo, today visited the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in an effort to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare in the province.

Cape Town – Minister of Public Works, Thulas Nxesi, today handed over one of the country’s state-of-the-art police stations to the South African Police Services (SAPS) in Mitchell’s Plain.

Pretoria - Gauteng government departments have spent 99% of their total adjusted budget for the 2012/13 financial year, the Gauteng Provincial Treasury said on Monday.

Pretoria- Trade and Industry (dti) Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe is in Algeria to expose South African companies to trade opportunities on the continent.

Pretoria – Police arrested two rhino poachers in Pafuri at the Kruger National Park at the weekend.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has concluded a successful working visit to Brazzaville, Congo, where he took part in the first meeting of the International Contact Group on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has welcomed the investigations into the landing of an A330 Airbus aircraft belonging to Jet Airways at Waterkloof Air Force Base earlier this week.

Pretoria - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe says South Africa’s education system needs “cutting edge” skills by educators to produce learners ready for the challenges of tertiary education, especially in the area of natural science.