South Africa

Pretoria - Progress is being made in dealing with the shortage of artisans in the country, says the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) of South Africa.

Pretoria- The price of a litre of 93 octane petrol will increase by 5 cents a litre while that of 95 octane petrol will increase by 7 cents a litre in Gauteng next Wednesday, the Energy Department has announced.

Pretoria - The Gauteng Provincial Government has launched an anti-substance abuse programme to strengthen interventions to combat the scourge of drug abuse in Eldorado Park and neighbouring communities.

Pretoria – Government has welcomed the 20-year sentence handed down to Thato Kutumela in the North Gauteng High Court for the murder and rape of his five-month pregnant girlfriend, Zanele Khumalo in April 2011.

Pretoria - It is the duty of the police to make South Africa safe and this means police must ensure members do not contribute to, or exaggerate tensions during protests, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Pretoria - The passing of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has been welcomed by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.

Pretoria - The Harties Cableway near Hartbeespoortdam, outside Brits, has attracted over 30 0000 visitors within its first year of opening, North West Premier Thandi Modise announced on Thursday.

Pretoria – The opening of a new R13.4-million clinic in Buxton village, in the North West, will mark an end to the days when residents used to travel long distances to access health care.

Pretoria – The TB Scooter program has changed lives in the Eastern Cape, with patients receiving their medication faster and more conveniently.

Pretoria - The KwaZulu-Natal Finance Department has injected R4 million to assist with infrastructure development in the dilapidating Nongoma town.

Pretoria - Collin Matjila has been appointed as the acting Chief Executive Officer of Eskom as of 1 April 2014, the electricity utility said.

Pretoria - The newly opened Joza Police Station, in Grahamstown, will go a long way in creating a much needed feeling of safety in the community.

Carnarvon - The first of the 64 antennas of the MeerKAT telescope, the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere, and a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), has been completed outside Carnarvon, in the Karoo.

Pretoria – The Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana has called on the police to speed up the investigation into the case of a man who is alleged to have committed 100 counts of rape.

Pretoria - The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has left the repo rate unchanged at 5.5% per annum.