South Africa

Pretoria - National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele has taken a jab at media around the so-called "shoot-to-kill" statement.

Cape Town - Government has sent a clear signal to all that it will focus more of its efforts on improving service delivery and creating jobs, while cutting down on wasteful expenditure as the world still reels from the effects of the global financial crisis.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has praised the spirit of forgiveness in the father of the nation - Nelson Mandela - saying it has touched millions of people worldwide.

Pretoria - The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Rosemary, received a warm reception when she visited Potter's House, a centre for abused and destitute women in Pretoria on Thursday.

Pretoria - The four illegal medical waste dumping sites in and around Welkom have been cleared and rehabilitated, according to the National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER) 2010/11 released on Thursday.

Pretoria - A total of 214 suspected rhino poachers were arrested in South Africa between April 2010 and March 2011, according to the 4th National Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER).

Pretoria - The international friendly between Bafana Bafana and Japan will no longer be played at the revamped Orlando Stadium, but will be held at the Rand Stadium.

Cape Town - An amount of R1.26 million has been donated to False Bay College to strengthen the Grade 10 to 12 tutoring programme on offer at the college's Centre of Science and Technology.

Pretoria - The South African National Development Team will clash with the hosts of the Cosafa senior challenge in a semi-final match to be played in Harare on Wednesday.

Cape Town - Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu says it would have been "beyond comprehensible" for government to commit to spending such a large amount of money on purchasing eight Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.

Pretoria - Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan has confirmed that President Jacob Zuma has not interfered in the saga surrounding Eskom Chief Executive Officer Jacob Maroga and the Board of Directors.

She has been dubbed Doctor Fix It - a label that has probably propelled the new Minister of Home Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to work tirelessly to ensure that the challenges facing the department are indeed fixed.

Johannesburg - Controversial Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy will play for Bafana Bafana in two upcoming international friendlies against Japan and Jamaica next week.

Pretoria - About 300 people, including people living with HIV and AIDS, and health experts are expected to gather at the Gallagher Estate on Friday for the inaugural Positive Convention on Living with HIV and AIDS.

Mafikeng - The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in the North West has expressed concern over failure by the Office of the Premier to lead by example in avoiding fruitless expenditure as described by the Auditor-General Terrence Nombembe in his report tabled in the provincial assembly recently.