South Africa

Pretoria - Deputy Human Settlement Minister, Zou Kota-Fredericks, says the formalisation of 206 informal settlements in the country has been completed.

Pretoria - The Department of Labour's Compensation Fund (CF) is undertaking a major decentralisation drive in an effort to improve the fund's operational efficiency.

Mbombela - Nearly 500 young people from Mpumalanga have graduated from the National Youth Service skills development programme.

Pretoria - The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to establish 50 000 commercially-orientated smallholder farmers focusing on homelands.

Pretoria - South Africa and Cuba have signed a R350-million Economic Assistance Package Agreement geared towards helping that country improve its food security,

Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma today called on the media to provide space for the government to get its message out, even if media owners disagreed with the views expressed.

Pretoria - The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is in the process of transforming Colleges of Agriculture into national Agricultural Training Institutes (ATIs).

Pretoria - Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies has commended the multibillion rand contribution made by the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) into the sector over the years.

Pretoria- The University of the Free State (UFS) graduation ceremony tickets, where American television host and actress, Oprah Winfrey will receive an honorary Doctorate in Education, were snapped up a few hours after they become available on Wednesday.

East London - Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet has urged South African citizens to provide accurate, truthful and honest information to Stats SA officials who are currently conducting the 2011 Census count.

Pretoria - Top officials from South Africa and France have met in Pretoria to map a way forward on how to deepen political and economic relations between the two countries.

Pretoria - Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has appealed to the public to ensure that the people they allow into their homes during Census 2011 are indeed enumerators.

Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs has welcomed the judgment in the Western Cape High Court dismissing the IFP and Cope application against government regarding the visa application for the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

East London - Water and Environmental Affairs Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi has urged local municipalities to fast-track strategies to improve air quality.

Pretoria-The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has urged the young people who are part of their National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) to emulate the young revolutionaries of the 1976 generation.