South Africa

Malalane - Mpumalanga police divers helped rescue a farmworker who spent five hours clinging to the branch of a tree on Thursday morning following floods in the Nkomazi area.

Polokwane - Public Works Minister Thembelani Nxesi says an extensive investigation will reveal whether there has been an inappropriate use of funds by the department's Limpopo provincial office.

East London - Relief is in sight for indigent East London ratepayers as the Buffalo City Metro prepares to write off nearly R63 million in unpaid rates.

Pretoria - Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (dti) Elizabeth Thabethe is to lead a delegation of South African crafters to the third International Handicrafts Exhibition in Cameroon.

Pretoria - The Department of Higher Education and Training has encouraged matrics who were unsuccessful in the 2011 exams not to lose hope as there were many options available to them in the post school system.

Pretoria - The Department of Higher Education and Training has encouraged matrics who were unsuccessful in the 2011 exams not to lose hope as there were many options available to them in the post school system.

Bloemfontein - Zolani Matu, 38, travelled more than 1 000km from Cape Town to Bloemfontein to be part of the centenary celebrations of the African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday.

Bloemfontein - Heads of State, royal families and thousands of supporters descended on the Free State Stadium on Sunday to mark the African National Congress' 100 years of existence.

Pretoria - The Presidency has clarified reports relating to an alleged ambassadorial posting for the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

Pretoria - As the ANC celebrates its 100 years of existence, President Jacob Zuma says the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality has been identified as needing attention.

Bela Bela - Government is satisfied with the progress made across its five key priority areas, namely health, education, rural development, job creation as well as safety and crime prevention, Collins Chabane, the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation said on Friday.

Komatipoort - A Mpumalanga orphan who grew up in a child-headed family has proven that hard work pays off after producing six distinctions in the 2011 matric exams.

Mbombela - Residents of Nsikazi outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga, were left without tap water this weekend after the raw water pumps along the Crocodile and Sabie Rivers were flooded during heavy rains.

Garissa - Security forces are on high alert in northern Kenya over an imminent suicide bomb attack by members of the Al-Shabaab group from neighbouring Somalia.

Johannesburg - Defence and Military Veterans Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, has described allegations that South Africa was to procure a warship as wrong, unfair and unethical.