South Africa stands to benefit from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have negotiated with the European Union (EU), says Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies. “What we have obtained in this agreement is that there are more opportunities for us to [market] sugar, wine, ethanol and [...]Benefit from economic pact with EU is a post from: South Africa Business


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Getting this year’s Galway Races off to a fashionable start will be the ‘Most Appropriately Dressed Lady Competition’ which takes place at Ballybrit on the first day of the event, Monday 28th July. Sponsored by award-winning Irish milliner, Suzie Mahony, the lucky winner will walk away with a stunning hat by Suzie whose designs have... [Continue Reading]Fashionable start to Galway Races is a post from: FashnSpire


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Communications Minister Faith Muthambi says the Malamulele Hospital in Thulamela, Limpopo, should be a facility of choice, where quality healthcare services should be the order of the day.

“As government, we want Malamulele to be the hospital of choice, where South Africans should be able to receive quality healthcare services all the time.

“We expect the service delivery procedure of this facility to be driven by improving staff attitudes, staff training and development, communication and teamwork,” Minister Muthambi said on Sunday.

She was responding to the challenges raised by staff members during her visit to the hospital, which also concluded government's week-long national Imbizo Focus Week.

Some of the issues raised by the hospital staff were the lack of resources and the shortage of staff personnel including doctors.

Nurses told the minister that the water taps at the hospital were constantly dry.

“We are glad that you brought this to our attention. We don’t want this hospital to be seen as a facility which depresses our people. The mandate of the current administration is to implement government’s programme of action and to accelerate services to the masses. I will immediately instruct the leadership of the Vhembe District municipality to ensure that there is running water all the time at the hospital,” she said.

Hospital CEO Valerie Risenga attributed some of the challenges faced by the hospital to the period when the provincial Health Department was placed under administration in 2011.

“Irrespective our difficult working conditions, we are trying our best as a hospital to render quality healthcare to the people,” she said.

Minister Muthambi also announced that her department will adopt the hospital. On Saturday, the department also adopted the Evuxakeni Hospital, in Giyani, which caters for patients with mental disabilities.

Imbizo Focus Week

Minister Muthambi told SAnews that she was satisfied with the Imbizo Focus Week. “The Imbizo Focus Week was a success. The most important part of it was the excitement of our people to interact with their leadership from all spheres of government.

“It was a success, but it needs to continue and as the Department of Communications, we will have to make sure that we get feedback from this Imbizo Focus Week.

“We want to find ways of holding public representative accountable for failing to deliver services to the masses, but also to demonstrate that this administration is more about implementation of government’s program of action.

“As the department, we want to change the Constituency offices into help and centres of hope.

“The people’s excitement demonstrated that people don’t want a lot of things, but only to be updated about the implementation of government programmes and acceleration of services.

“When you interact with people and brief them about government’s programme of action, there would never be service delivery protests.

“The concept of izimbizo is that people representative should interact with the masses on a regular basis especially at a ward level. People want more information about the services they expect from government,” she said.

The minister said ward councillors should be the face of President Jacob Zuma in their respective wards. “We expect councillors to emulate President Zuma who listens and constantly gives feedback to the people.

“During the elections campaign, South Africans told us a number of things they wanted us to do, so now we know their problems, what we need to do is to deliver.

“The National Development Plan (NDP) is urging all South Africans to be part of the process of moving our country forward, so government wants to move along with people in building a better South Africa for all,” she said.

The minister also led a clean-up campaign at the hospital in honour of former President Nelson Mandela before she interacted with residents at the local shopping complex. - SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will today launch its Book Flood Campaign in celebration of International Nelson Mandela Day. The campaign is aimed at fostering a reading culture amongst learners beyond the classroom and making the habit of reading every child’s right. The initiative will run for a month, ending on 18 August. The […]Mandela Day inspires reading culture is a post from: BooknSpire


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After the first Mandela Day in 2009, Mandela thanked all who had supported it. He said: “It is our hope that people will dedicate their time and effort to improve the conditions within their own communities. We thank you for participating in Mandela Day”.

Five years later the Trustees and staff of the Nelson Mandela Foundation would like to echo his words in thanking all who came out in their numbers around the world in support of the first Mandela Day since Mandela’s passing.

“We value your commitment and your solidarity. And we trust that you will continue to work at improving conditions in your communities,” the Foundation said on Saturday.

Nelson Mandela International Day 2014 has been successful by any measure.

“We have been heartened by the number of sustainable projects still thriving. At the same time it has been inspiring to see the range of innovative new projects to emerge. And we welcome the degree to which structures of the state, of civil society and in the private sector are working together for the campaign.”

The United Nations linked it’s My World Campaign to Mandela Day. Designed to secure participation by global citizens in the identifying of new development goals, it has already secured contributions from nearly 3 million people around the world.

Mandela Day activations were recorded in 126 countries. Over 1 200 actions were registered on the Mandela Day website and there are more to come. Nearly half a million food parcels were distributed to needy South Africans. Over a million sanitary towels were made available to South African schoolgirls.

“Drawing on volunteers from Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, the US and South Africa, Habitat for Humanity built another 67 houses for those in need. And we recorded over 15 000 books donated to school libraries on the day itself.”

The Mandela Day Library Programme should result in an additional 30 library spaces to the over 55 we have already delivered before yearend.

“Of course the heart of Mandela Day is not about numbers and statistics. It is about building sustainable cultures of service, overcoming alienation, and inspiring people to change their societies so that fundamental systemic issues are addressed. Join us in making every day a Mandela Day. Continue to register your actions on the website as a global changemaker,” the Foundation said.

“Let us demonstrate that the legacy of Nelson Mandela is a living one. Let us make Mr Mandela proud, every day.” – SAnews.gov.za

The 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has given birth to a boy. Announcing the birth on her Twitter account, she said: “Our beautiful baby boy Reggie Ennis-Hill was born yesterday. We couldn’t be happier.” Ennis-Hill, 28, from Sheffield, plans to defend her Olympic title at the 2016 Rio Games. The athlete, who married Andy [...]Jessica Ennis-Hill gives Birth is a post from: Time-4-Sport


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Public Works Minister Thembelani “Thulas” Nxesi has singled out the creation of six million work opportunities for poor and unemployed people as one of his five key priority areas in the next five years.

The minister said this will be done through the labour-intensive delivery of public services and infrastructure.

“Public employment programmes must facilitate community participation, and provide tangible benefits to communities, the society and economy.

“We provide a stipend to unemployed people but the programmes deliver much more to individual participants and to their communities,” said the minister, while delivering his Budget Vote Speech, in Parliament on Wednesday.

Minister Nxesi said his department will also focus on its anti-corruption efforts, and leading the second phase of the turnaround strategy for improved performance.

“This also means working with Human Resource and Change Management to promote a committed performance driven work culture,” he said.

Minister Nxesi said another priority area will be undertaking a policy review process, which will culminate in the department clarify its mandate. This, the minister said, will provide a solid foundation for the third phase of the turnaround strategy.

Changing the built environment

Public Works will also focus on a renewed programme of action to transform the built environment industry.

“This must include support for black and female contractors and property practitioners; as well as the production of black professionals and artisans in the built environment disciplines. We cannot be complacent that only 24% of built environment professionals are black.

“I have now started a process of consultation with stakeholders to accelerate the pace of transformation in the built environment sectors,” he said.

Minister Nxesi said the department’s R6.121 billion budget consisting of:

· R1.17 million for programme 1 (Administration)
· R2.86 million for programme 2 (Immovable Asset Management)
· R1.95 million for programme 3 (Expanded Public Works Programme)
· R41 million for programme 4 (Property and Construction Industry Policy Regulation) and

· R92 million for programme 5 (Auxiliary and Associated Services).

- SAnews.gov.za

The Trade Activity Index (TAI) showed a slight increase in June, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Tuesday. The...

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Creating jobs for young people and bringing services close to producers is one of the biggest challenges facing the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

However, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said his Budget Vote Speech in the National Assembly tomorrow will give the nation a clear plan on what direction the department is going to take to achieve its goals, which include creating jobs for women and the youth.

“Our biggest challenge at this point is how to bring the services of the department closer to producers and how to create employment, with a specific focus on youth.

“Tomorrow's budget vote speech will give the nation a plan on what direction we are going to take to achieve some of these goals,” he said.

The minister was speaking during his first quarterly meetings with eight MECs and heads of department responsible for agriculture and food security in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The gathering, which is also being attended by Zokwana’s deputy Bheki Cele, will discuss what the sector should do to create a million jobs by 2030, as articulated by President Jacob Zuma during his State of the Nation Address.

Minister Zokwana and the MECs will also discuss how programmes aimed at developing smallholder farmers will be supported to enhance production in the next five years.

The MECs will have an opportunity to inform their counterparts on the status of agricultural initiatives in their respective provinces and how they plan to grow employment and create markets for producers.

The meeting will also look at the role of youth and women and programmes that will be aimed attracting those who are not involved in the sector as a mechanism to tackle unemployment.

"We need to address the gender balance in agriculture and find ways in which to attract more young people to participate in the sector.

“In dealing with food security, we need to understand where provinces are in terms of the Fetsa Tlala food production initiative, mechanisation and many other issues,” said Minister Zokwana. – SAnews.gov.za

President Jacob Zuma has conveyed his condolences following the passing of Nobel Prize winner and South African author Nadine Gordimer. “South Africa has lost a great patriot, a renowned writer and an outstanding voice for equality and freedom. We wish to express, on behalf of government and the entire population, our sincerest words of condo… […]Nadine Gordimer passes away is a post from: BooknSpire


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