South Africa

Pretoria - The Environmental Affairs Department has set up an interim National Wildlife Crime Reaction Unit (NWCRU) aimed at responding to the upsurge of rhino poaching and smuggling of rhino horn.

Cape Town - Improved planning and co-ordination between national and provincial governments and municipalities will be central to the New Growth Path, the Minister of Economic Development, Ebrahim Patel, announced today.

Pretoria - Team South Africa has nabbed five medals at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Pretoria - The responsibility of strengthening primary health care should not only be left on nurses, but doctors' support is equally critical to effectively strengthen the level of health care.

Pretoria - Bilateral cooperation, economic relations, the recent referendum in Sudan and the political impasse in Ivory Coast will feature high on the agenda of discussions between President Jacob Zuma and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni.

Pretoria - The time has come for workers to start prioritising workplace health and safety issues, says Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana.

Cape Town - More than six million South Africans have been tested so far during the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign, said Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

Nairobi - Africa Union (AU) mediator Raila Odinga is due to hold talks with President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola in Luanda, the country's capital, on the developments in Cote d'Ivoire.

Cape Town - Government has set clear targets to improve the quality of learner education in the country by 2014.

Cape Town - The Department of Higher Education and Training has embarked on a National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS3) to help stave off unemployment and create jobs.

Pretoria - The Magnificent Friday campaign has been launched to mobilise South Africans and boost support for the country's national cricket, rugby and netball World Cup squads.

Pretoria - Secretary for Defence, Mpumi Mpofu, says policies are being reviewed and new ones drafted to ensure the smooth implementation of the recommendations made by the Interim National Defence Force Commission.

Pretoria - Bold government intervention is needed to address the service delivery protests which have broken out in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, says Dr Udesh Pillay, executive director of democracy, governance and service delivery at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Pretoria - South Africa has proved to be more popular with World Cup visitors than previously thought.

Pretoria - Two police officers have been injured in a helicopter crash at Wonderboom Airport, north of Pretoria.