South Africa

Pretoria – Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the targeted matric pass rate of 75% by 2014 is well within reach.

Cape Town – Government’s anti-poverty strategy is helping to remove the obstacles inhibiting equal access to quality education for all children, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga told Parliament on Tuesday.

Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma has called for the creation of an African Standby Force which the African Union (AU) can use to deploy rapidly to conflicts on the continent.

Pretoria - Western Cape Metrorail says the second phase of the (closed-circuit television CCTV) level crossing camera enforcement system will be extended to the Buttskop railway crossing in Cape Town, where a horrific crash happened three years ago.

Pretoria - The City of Cape Town is urging concert-goers of the Justin Bieber gig in Cape Town stadium, on Wednesday, to make use of public transport, especially trains.

Pretoria – Gauteng’s clinic outreach teams have conducted over 8 000 home visits in an effort to improve the quality and delivery of primary healthcare across the province.

Cape Town – The Department of Basic Education has agreed to attend to some of the demands made by the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), with the union in return agreeing to suspend all work-to-rule and other actions which may hamper teaching.

Pretoria - Germany remains an important agricultural investment partner for South Africa - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said on Monday.

Pretoria – The Gauteng Health Department says it is working on improving the waiting periods for patients who are in need of surgery, and has implemented interventions to reduce the backlogs at public hospitals across the province.

Pretoria – The National Youth Development Agency has called on employers across all industries in South Africa to support the recently released Youth Employment Accord, a government-led initiative aimed at tackling economic challenges facing the youth.

Pretoria - South African Airways (SAA) and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), allowing the two airlines to introduce a comprehensive range of codeshare and interline air services.

Pretoria - National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) newly elected chairperson Yeshen Pillay says the agency remains a critical vehicle for youth development in South Africa, saying much of the criticism against it has been mainly about administrative issues.

Pretoria – South Africa and Vietnam have signed an action plan to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on Biodiversity Conservation and Protection.

Pretoria - South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 25.2% in the first quarter of 2013 following a decline in the fourth quarter of 2012, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Monday.

Ga-Rankuwa – Gauteng MEC for Health, Hope Papo, today visited the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in an effort to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare in the province.