Features

Pretoria - Former Cabinet Minister Kader Asmal will be cremated over the weekend in Cape Town.

Cape Town - US First Lady Michelle Obama on Thursday praised South Africans who had grown up under apartheid, overcome the oppressive system and built a country based on equality that had become a role model for the rest of the world.

Pretoria - Excitement is building in Bloemfontein ahead of the graduation ceremony of US talk show host Oprah Winfrey at the University of Free State (UFS) later today.

Pretoria - The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) has expressed disappointment that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has decided to import the National Olympic team's kit.

Pretoria - The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) has warned potential liquor traders about a fraudulent liquor licensing scam.

Giyani - Some Limpopo villagers have turned to biogas to beat the escalating costs of buying electricity.

Pretoria - Revered by international and local tourists for its enchanting quaintness, the small town of Wupperthal, located in the scenic Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape, has added one more attraction to its array of tourism offerings - the Cederberg Donkey Cart Route.

Ngobi - Participating in the Comrades Marathon had to take a backseat when Mmatsheko Pine learnt that President Jacob Zuma would visit her village on Saturday.

Pretoria - Correctional Services National Commissioner Tom Moyane says alternative sentencing of petty crime offenders would assist in preventing overcrowding in prisons.

Pretoria - South Africa goes into a national period of mourning today with flags flying at half mast following the death of former Education and Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal, who has been granted an official funeral.

Bloemfontein - What could possibly motivate varsity students to get up at 4am on a bitterly cold Friday morning? The thought of lectures or exams could force one back under the covers, but when one of the brightest stars of entertainment shines on your doorstep, you simply have no choice but to wake up.

Pretoria - About 60 youngsters in Winburg have been identified to take part in the Free State Youth@Work programme aimed at youth empowerment.

Pretoria - The South African Police Service is stepping up its efforts to combat corruption but cannot be expected to fight the battle alone, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Bloemfontein - Thousands of people - young and old - have filled the Callie Human Centre at the University of the Free State (UFS) to welcome "the daughter of the soil."

Pretoria - The Gautrain's operators will have to satisfy the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) that rigorous safety testing and trial runs have been successfully completed, and that all the required safety measures are in place, before a Safety Permit is granted for the Johannesburg to Pretoria route.