South Africa

Piet Retief- President Jacob Zuma has urged emerging farmers in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga, to use their farms to create jobs and alleviate poverty.

Pretoria - With less than two weeks before the start of the supplementary exams, the Gauteng Department of Education is holding free preparatory classes.

The National Treasury is investigating 76 business entities with contracts worth R8.4 billion believed to have infringed procurement rules, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said.

Muldersdrift – The interventions put in place to curb the high rate of crime in Muldersdrift are starting to yield positive results, with the number of cases reported in the area declining.

Cape Town – Smokers can expect to pay 60 cents more for a packet of cigarettes, while consumers will pay R1.08 more for a can of beer.

Pretoria - Due to a shortage of health care workers in the province, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has decided to "un-freeze" clinical posts in seven institutions and a component of head office.

Cape Town – The current means test for the old age grant will be phased out in order to simplify administration and prevent the exclusion of vulnerable individuals, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced in the Budget Speech on Wednesday.

Cape Town – In a move that could change the face of local government, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has announced that a new formula for the local government equitable share will be introduced in the upcoming financial year.

Cape Town – With the National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot programmes already being rolled out in some of the country’s major cities, government says the country’s health infrastructure remains a priority.

Cape Town – Government is set to prioritise education infrastructure in the next three years, with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on Wednesday announcing an allocation of more than R23 billion towards beefing up school infrastructure and increasing the number of no-fee schools.

Pretoria - Conference Centres across the country are reporting a high demand this year as local businesses try to squeeze in conferences ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Pretoria - The Department of Trade and Industry has announced that it has transferred the task of authorising Certificates of Origin of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to the South African Revenue Services (SARS).

Cape Town - Consumers will from early next year be charged 36 cents less when making cell phone calls, Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda announced on Thursday.

Rustenburg - Residents of the rural Seraleng community, just outside Rustenburg in the North West, will now be able to cook food, wash clothes and do other household chores in the evenings after being connected to the country's electricity grid.

Pretoria - Government is looking at integrating its existing call centres to reduce the load on the Presidential Hotline.