Who would have thought that the fashion industry would have come this far? To be able to walk into major department stores and witness increasing options for the curvy woman is poignantly inspiring! And, the full-figured fashion industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds. So, who do we credit? Well, … giving credit where... [Continue Reading]District Of Curves Full Fashion 2014 is a post from: FashnSpire


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Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Deputy Minister of Basic Education Enver Surty will today launch the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign, which will see Grade 4 girl learners getting the first dose of the vaccine.

The campaign is a significant public health milestone and is expected to reduce cervical cancer and its associated mortality within the next two to three decades.

From this month, all Grade 4 girls, who are nine years and older, will be given an opportunity to get the HPV vaccination at schools.

About 550 000 learners throughout the country will in March/April get their first dose of the vaccine, and the second dose in September/October. The vaccine prevents infection from HPV strains, which cause most of cervical cancer cases. It is most effective in young girls who have not yet come into contact with HPV.

The introduction of the vaccine is part of the Integrated School Health Programme.

Motsoaledi and Surty will this morning give the first dose of the vaccine to learners at Gonyane Primary School in Bloemfontein.

HPV vaccination teams will during the month visit schools to vaccinate girls that are eligible for the vaccination.

Cancer of the cervix is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in South Africa. Estimates indicate that there are 16 million women over the age of 15 years who are at risk of cervical cancer.

There are more than 5 000 cases per year in South Africa and around 3 000 deaths from this cancer. Black women carry the heaviest burden of the disease. – SAnews.gov.za

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Youth movements have reaffirmed their commitment to the Youth Employment Accord, which was signed in April last year, as the framework for youth employment.

“We support the scaled up implementation of the Youth Employment Accord, with clear targets to be set for each of the pillars of the Accord,” said the youth in their declaration at the Presidential Youth Indaba on Jobs and Skills.

The youth organisations were led by the South African Youth Council (SAYC) drawn from political formations, faith based organisations, young people with disabilities, student formations and rural youth, among others.

The Accord, which was signed on 18 April last year, makes several commitments to improve education and skilling of young people, and helping them to find jobs and start their businesses. In it, government also commits to increase the number of people employed in the public sector, while certain industries are to set youth development targets.

The Youth Indaba kicked off on Friday at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg. Minister for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane and Deputy Minister Obed Bapela as well as Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel were among those who attended the conference.

NSC Second Chance programme

In his address to the Indaba, attended by youth from across the province, President Jacob Zuma said that the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) was continuing to run its successful National Senior Certificate (NSC) Second Chance Matric Rewrite Programme. The programme affords young people who have failed matric, a second chance to obtain their National Senior Certificate.

The youth expressed its support for the programme.

To date, more than 8 000 young people have been assisted to rewrite their matric with the 2013 results indicating a 78% pass rate.

“We support a bigger focus on second-chance matric. This must include work preparedness programmes,” noted the youth in their declaration on Sunday.

FET colleges

Meanwhile, government is building 12 new FET campuses across the country, mostly in rural areas.

“We support the plan to expand the number of FET college campuses,” noted the youth, also adding their support for the setting up of community colleges to provide a wider range of education and training pathways for young people.

Internship programmes

The youth called for improved internship programmes in the state and the private sector.

“Within the state, we call for improvement of the number of internships, starting with 20 000 a year from 2014 and rising progressively to 60 000 a year by 2018, resulting in a total of 200 000 young people given an opportunity of first work experience through government, within the next five years.”

President Zuma in his address had also noted that all was not plain sailing for youth when it came to looking for that first work experience and first funding for entrepreneurs.

“Within the private sector, we call on companies to significantly scale up internships to five percent of total employment by 2019,” added the youth.

Youth organisations

Additionally the youth called on youth organisations to work with state funding agencies like the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) as well as the NYDA to roll out funding for viable youth owned enterprises.

The youth called on the next generation Millennium Development Goals to contain youth development targets and for South Africa to propagate this view in discussions in the BRICS and United Nations.

“We call for more action to create youth cooperatives and to expand involvement of young people in co-operatives. We welcome efforts to bring young people in the rural areas into skills and jobs,” the youth said.

Presidential Youth Working Group

Additionally the decision by the President to set up a Presidential Youth Working Group was welcomed.

The indaba was the platform for the creation of the group composed of different stakeholders, who will meet with the President from time to time to appraise him on the progress of the implementation of the Indaba Declaration.

“We [also] strongly support the right of protest and free expression on issues of youth and we condemn strongly any resort to violence or destruction of property,” said the youth. - SAnews.gov.za

The South African government has condemned in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack which took place at the Kunming Railway Station, in China, on Saturday.

More than 10 terrorist suspects attacked people at the square and ticket hall of Kunming Railway Station at 9:20pm on Saturday, killing at least 30 civilians and injuring 130 others.

“The South Africa Government condemns all forms and manner of terrorism. We believe that terrorism in any form and from whichever quarter cannot be condoned.

“The South African government sends it deepest condolences to the government and the people of the People’s Republic of China, and in particularly to the families of the deceased and wish the injured speedy recoveries,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement on Monday.

Meanwhile, the international community has also strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attack.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said that the 15-nation UN body condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack.

"The members of the security council extended their deepest sympathy and condolence to the victims and their families who suffered from such most heinous terrorist attack, as well as to the people and the government of the People's Republic of China," the UNSC said in a statement on Sunday.

"The security council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, wherever and whenever and by whomsoever committed," the UNSC said.

The UN body reiterated its determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, stressing the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this terrorist attack to justice.

Appalled by the reports of the significant loss of life, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also extended condolences and sympathy to the families who have suffered death and injury.

"There is never any justification for such heinous crimes," Ashton's spokesman Sebastien Brabant told Xinhua.

Germany on Sunday also strongly condemned the brutal attack on innocent civilians conducted by a group of knife-wielding militants in the well-known tourist city.

"This act cannot be justified," the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Stressing that the Pakistani people fully understand and share the pain of the people of China, Pakistan said that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

"We are ready to extend all possible cooperation to China in combating this menace," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that “our prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims of this terrorist attack”.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party also denounced the terrorist attack in Yunnan and sent deep condolences to the Chinese people and their leadership, saying that they believed China will recover from this ordeal and is able “to confront anyone who tries to target the stability of our friend China”.

Order has been restored in Kunming currently, with train arrivals resuming on Sunday after three trains carrying 3 000 passengers were affected on Saturday night. – SAnews.gov.za- Xinhua

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The upcoming cricket test match between South Africa and Australia, to be played in Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, will be used to promote the country's 20 years of freedom, says the department of Sport and Recreation.

The test match will take place from 1-6 March, but a series of activities have been lined up before the match.

On Friday, there will be a coaching clinic at Khayelitsha Cricket Club, where 150 learners from the area will have an opportunity to interact with 15 coaches.

Former cricket players such as Gary Kirsten, Paul Adams, Monde Zondeki, and Peter Kirsten as well as Cape Cobras players will also attend the coaching clinic.

On Saturday, Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula will hand over the 20 Years of Freedom Plaque to Cricket South Africa, Australian Cricket Association as well as to Jacques Kallis.

On Sunday, 2 March, there will be a gala dinner with 200 former cricket players and administrators to celebrate Kallis who will be retiring from the sporting code. The dinner will also be used to celebrate Cricket South Africa’s achievements.

Meanwhile, 300 learners per day from selected schools will be transported to the stadium to watch the test match on Day 4 and 5 respectively.

On April 27, South Africa will mark 20 years of freedom and democracy. - SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - A total of 146 rhinos have been poached in South Africa since the beginning of the year, the Department of Environmental Affairs said on Wednesday.

“The Kruger National Park remains hardest hit by rhino poaching, having lost 95 rhino since 1 January 2014,” the department’s spokesperson Albi Modise said.

Fourteen rhino have been poached in the North West, 14 in Limpopo, 10 in KwaZulu-Natal and six in Mpumalanga.

The number of people arrested for rhino poaching-related offences has risen to 44.

Twenty poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park and 10 in KwaZulu-Natal alone.

The department urged South Africans to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211. – SAnews.gov.za

This past Sunday saw the Spur Cape Summer Trail Series 2014 come to an end on pristine Oak Valley trails in perfect weather conditions. Oak Valley delights in Series finale As is tradition, race 4 kicked off with the 25.4km XL race, drawing top names such as Spur Silvermine Mountain XL winners Michael Bailey and [...]Cape Summer Trail Series concludes is a post from: Trail Running South Africa


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Five-time World Cup winners Brazil are scheduled to arrive in South Africa on Monday, 3 March, for their match against the national squad, Bafana Bafana.

The Brazilians will arrive in three groups, with the first expected to land at 7:40am at OR Tambo international Airport. The second group is scheduled to touch down at 10:30am at Lanseria Airport, while the last group will arrive at OR Tambo at 10:05pm.

Coach Felipe Scolari has added three more home-based players to the squad that will face Bafana in an international friendly match scheduled for Wednesday, 5 March, at FNB stadium. Kick-off is 7pm.

Scolari has confirmed the trio will join the 16 overseas-based players already selected for the match.

The three players are Frederico Chaves Guedes, who plays for Fluminense, Atletico Mineiro striker Jô Soares and Botafogo goalkeeper Jefferson Lopes Faustino.

Chaves finished as the top goal scorer when he bagged in five goals in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, which Brazil won.

Due to injury, he has been absent from the Brazil squad since the 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in August last year.

Soares has become a regular under Scolari, while Lopes returns after missing November's friendlies against Honduras and Chile.

"It's a good opportunity to meet the group, our last before the final squad of the World Cup [is decided]," Scolari said in a statement released by Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF).

"It will be an important test against an African team who recently beat Spain, and a good time to talk to the players and coaching staff on planning for the World Cup."

Brazil will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup for the second time after being the host back in 1950.

Tickets for the game are going for R50, R100 and R200. – SAnews.gov.za