South Africa

Pretoria - An investigation into the exact cause of Tuesday's explosion at the Bloed Street Mall is underway.

Durban - The South African government has appealed to trade unions not to use the 2010 FIFA World Cup as leverage should a strike within the health sector prevail as recent media reports suggest.

Pretoria - The Albertina Sisulu Freeway, formerly known as the R21/R24 - the highway that links Joburg to all other Gauteng municipalities - will be completed by the end of April, to the relief of many motorists.

Pretoria - National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega on Thursday announced that a new team of investigators, under the leadership of the Divisional Commissioner of Detective Services, Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo, will take over the investigation in the murder case involving athlete Oscar Pistorius.

Cape Town – Civil servants will be expected to work harder and become more effective in serving ordinary South Africans, while giving taxpayers more value for money, President Jacob Zuma said today.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma had a private dinner with members of the Afrikaner community at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, his official residence in Pretoria.

Pretoria - The Department of Basic Education has clarified that although the June school holidays have been extended by seven days to accommodate the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the school year has not been shortened in any way.

Pretoria - Neatly dressed in their new school uniform, millions of children countrywide made their way back to school to start the 2010 academic year.

Pretoria - Reports that the Sedibeng municipality plans to honour President Jacob Zuma's first wife Sizakele Khumalo are false, says the Presidency.

Pretoria - The Ministry for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities has welcomed the announcement by MultiChoice that the company will not be proceeding with the idea to launch a pornographic channel on DSTV.

Pretoria - The public has been encouraged to comment on the draft Military Veterans Bill, which is expected to honour and recognise the country's veterans.

Pretoria - South Africa's death rate has showed a decline of 1.8 percent from 2007 to 2008, said Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

Pretoria - The Presidency has sent condolences to the family and friends of anti-apartheid struggle icon Professor Fatima Meer who passed away on Friday.

Pretoria - The Energy Department has set the wheels in motion on one of the biggest audits in the South African liquid fuels industry in a bid to speed up transformation.

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will today visit the Roodepoort Fire Station in Hodgson Street to meet with emergency workers.