South Africa

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma says he is saddened by the death of his "number one protector", Patrick "Sho" Maphumulo.

Cape Town - Schools are "the bedrock" on which democracy is built, and which will determine whether democracy will work or not, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille said on Wednesday.

Atteridgeville - Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has reiterated the call for educators and learners to effectively use the time allocated for learning and teaching during school hours, and to ensure that nothing interferes with teaching time.

Springs - Now is the time to put away cellphones, stop attending parties, buckle down and focus on your books, says Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy.

Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department says it is ready for the 2011 National Senior Certificate Examination, with great importance placed quality invigilation and prevention of irregularities.

Pretoria - Security operations for the Census 2011 are running smoothly, says the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints).

Pretoria - The 2011 Matric Results will be published in all accredited media, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has announced.

Pretoria - The Department of Human Settlements has received yet another clean audit, making it the 17th year in a row that it has achieved that feat.

Cape Town - The Department of Home Affairs has urged parents to register their children within 30 days of birth.

Pretoria - The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has set aside R1.9 billion to install a modern signalling system that will help trains operate more smoothly.

Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim is in Kerala, India, to receive the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will lead a South African delegation to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extra-Ordinary Troika Summit to be hosted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Thursday.

Polokwane - Nearly 3 000 more tourists visited Limpopo Wildlife Resorts in December 2012 than the previous year.

Polokwane - Despite a slight reduction in road fatalities in Limpopo over the 2012 festive season, compared to the previous year, traffic authorities are not happy with the behaviour of motorists on provincial roads.

Skukuza - South Africa's fight against rhino poaching has been dealt a blow, with three rhinos already killed in the Kruger National Park since the beginning of the year.