South Africa

Pretoria - Transport Minister Ben Martins has announced that 1 465 people lost their lives on the country's roads during the festive season.

Durban - Peter de Villiers has indicated that he will step down as the Springboks coach after a challenging four-year tenure.

Cape Town - Government has set about identifying key sectors from which it will buy only locally-produced goods, when new procurement regulations come into effect later this year, the Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies, said today.

Pretoria - Gauteng MEC for Health and Social Development, Ntombi Mekgwe and Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Mondli Gungubele have made an earnest appeal to the public to lend a helping hand to the Struisbult care centre, which was gutted by fire.

Pretoria - Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has called on South Africans to regard mental health as an integral part of overall individual health and wellbeing ahead of World Mental Health Day.

Pretoria - South Africans are being called on to register their SIM cards ahead of the 30 June 2011 deadline.

Pretoria - With less than 50 days to the kick-off of the 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17), South Africa is well on track with its preparations for the conference.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has congratulated the President of the Republic of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, on her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011.

Ekurhuleni - Municipalities need to prepare themselves and come up with initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change, says Councillor Thabo Manyoni, chairperson of South African Local Government Association.

East London - The Eastern Cape transport MEC is determined not to let the Kei Rail passenger service between East London and Mthatha collapse in her hands.

Pretoria - In an effort to reduce maternal deaths and strengthen mother and child health in KwaZulu- Natal, the provincial Health Department is developing centres of excellence for mother and child services.

Cape Town - After four and half years of preparation, the task of counting everyone in the country in a nationwide census was launched in stunning fashion in Cape Town on Sunday night.

Durban - Government will show its support for the "I Play Fair - Say NO! To Doping" initiative launched by the SA Institute for Drug Free Sport on Tuesday.

Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has called on members of the public to assist in exposing and reporting any acts of corruption detected in the public service.

Cape Town - The Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) has come under fire from Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police for delays and inconsistencies in investigating serious crimes committed by police.