South Africa

South Africa recorded a trade deficit of R5.5 billion in March, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) said on Monday.

Pretoria - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa wants to see police management adopt a more hands-on approach and to be held accountable as part of SAPS efforts to strengthen command and control within its structures.

Pretoria - Three universities which were placed under administration last year are steadily improving their administrations, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) announced on Monday.

Pretoria - South Africa's under-23 squad, Amaglug-glug, minimised their chances of proceeding to the next stage of the 2012 London qualifiers after they played a one-all draw against Gabon on Wednesday night.

Pretoria - Several streets will be closed to traffic in the Cape Town city centre ahead of the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, authorities have warned.

Durban - South Africa's Oscar Pistorius was on Monday presented with the Laureus Award for the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.

Pretoria - The Department of Environmental Affairs says a new REDISA Integrated Waste Tyre Management Plan (IIWTMP) has been published for immediate implementation.

Port Elizabeth - More access to female condoms, protection of commercial sex workers and access to HIV information for rural women were some of the requests given to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe as the country marks World Aids Day.

Durban - Popular South African actress Leleti Khumalo has joined forces with the KwaZulu-Natal government to help improve the standard of living for many youths.

East London - Eastern Cape police are urging people who need to make a withdrawal from an ATM this festive season to be on the lookout for possible bank card thieves.

Thohoyandou - With the start of the marula season, hundreds of unemployed Limpopo women have collected wild marula fruits and started making beer to sell to locals and people from as far as Gauteng.

Mthatha - An Eastern Cape family celebrated Christmas early when they received a brand new house five months after their home burnt to the ground.

Port Elizabeth - President Jacob Zuma has launched the new National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV and Aids 2012 - 2016, which promises to do much more to tackle TB and issues of violence against women.

In March, cabinet approved the submission of the amendment bills for the Labour Relations Act (LRA) and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) to Parliament. The two will deal with the phenomenon of labour broking and child labour, among other things.

Pretoria - A Chinese national, who was arrested on Monday after being found in possession of dried abalone, will appear before the Bellville Magistrate's Court today.