South Africa

Johannesburg - South Africa's aviation sector is currently being evaluated for its capability to handle any possible outbreak of communicable diseases.

Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs has activated its Alive Status Verification service to enable South Africans to check their status to ensure that they have not been fraudulently declared dead on the population register.

Pretoria - Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on Wednesday welcomed the move by the Canadian immigration authorities to review the decision to grant Brandon Huntley asylum following claims of discrimination in South Africa.

Pretoria - Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has highlighted the importance of Maths literacy among school children, especially under the current economic climate.

Witbank - Law enforcement officers will be out in full force, monitoring motorists travelling on the N1 towards Durban, Polokwane, the Beit Bridge border and in particular Moria in Limpopo during the Easter weekend.

Johannesburg - Gauteng Health MEC Brian Hlongwa has paid tribute to the late Dr Charlotte Maxeke at the unveiling of a plague formally renaming the Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

Pretoria - Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has called for the suspension of the decision to withdraw the complaint and readmission of the four Reitz students.

Pretoria - The Department of Communications has launched a new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme to address the country's ICT skills shortage.

Pretoria - The Union Buildings was abuzz this morning with school children aged between 7 and 13 checking out the Presidency's new children's website.

Durban - To get the youth of KwaZulu-Natal to take a more keen interest in reading, the province is introducing new literacy initiatives to stimulate a love of the written word.

Harare - Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is expected back in the country on Tuesday from Durban, South Africa, where he has been resting and recuperating in the wake of the tragic accident that claimed the life of his wife, Susan.

Pretoria - Economists have predicted that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will announce a 100 basis point cut at the least in the repo rate on Tuesday after their two-day meeting.

Cape Town - The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs is aware of US studies suggesting that fracking - a method of gas extraction - could contaminate drinking water sources with radioactive material.

Johannesburg - Electricity utility Eskom is calling on all South Africans to participate in the worldwide climate change awareness programme by switching off the nation's lights for an hour during the evening of 28 March.

For two Johannesburg youth, volunteering for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament will provide more than just an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, writes Simangaliso Zwane.