Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit met Sunday in Cairo with Jean Ping, chairman of the African Union commission, who is currently visiting Egypt. The spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Hossam Zaki told reporters on Sunday that Aboul Gheit discussed with Ping all matters relating to the next African Union summit in Addis Ababa […]
SA IS 'NOT A JUNGLE,' SAYS SOCCER BOSS
SA football Association boss Kirsten Nematandani has assured World Cup tourists that South Africans “don’t live in a jungle” and that the country is “safe”. This after weekend newspaper reports that a British company was cashing in on a stab-proof vest for visitors who fear being mugged and injured. The jackets cost about R510. The […]
MARADONA TO DROP IN ON MONDAY
An Argentinian football delegation led by head coach Diego Maradona arrives on Monday to inspect the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Pretoria, the facility they will call home during the World Cup. But football fans hoping to get a glimpse of him will be disappointed. There will be no press conference or interviews and photographs […]
TUTU CHALLENGES SA GOVERNMENT TO SET UP HAITI DISASTER FUND
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has challenged the SA government to set up a fund for the people of Haiti following last week’s devastating quake. He has suggested it be called the South Africa Haiti Disaster Fund. Mr. Tutu said it is encouraging to see the level of support offered by world governments to the people […]
GIFT OF THE GIVERS TEAM ARRIVES IN HAITI
A 10-member South African rescue team from Gift of the Givers arrived in Haiti on Sunday as part of a R15m effort to help victims of the earthquake that struck last week. The Haitian government said more than 50 000 people had been killed and 250 000 injured by the earthquake that devastated the capital […]
SA JOINS AGENCY FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
SA on Sunday joined an international agency which promotes renewable energy, even though so far domestic progress in renewable energy has lagged. Energy Affairs Minister Dipuo Peters signed the register of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) statutes in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. “This is a pioneer development that will enable us to work with […]
SA TAKES UP FARMERS’ ISSUES
SA said on Sunday that it had made formal contact with the Zimbabwean government on issues raised by its citizens in Zimbabwe. A number of South African farmers have been forced out of their farms by invaders, with the latest incident on 24 December. This is despite a 2008 ruling by a tribunal established under […]
QWELANE SET TO BECOME AN AMBASSADOR FOR SA
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation has confirmed that media personality Jon Qwelane is to become an ambassador for South Africa in one of the country’s foreign embassies. Speaking to The Citizen on Sunday, ministerial spokesman Malusi Mogale said Qwelane was indeed commissioned to represent South Africa elsewhere but could not divulge where exactly. […]
CABINET ‘LAST WORD’ ON PLANS — MINISTER MANUEL
National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel has reassured that the Cabinet will have the final say on policy formulation. Briefing the media on Friday, Min. Manuel said the revised green paper on national strategic planning clearly stated the National Planning Commission would have no executive powers and that Cabinet would make the final decisions. “The commission […]
NO PAY FOR THE IDLE – PRESIDENT ZUMA
President Jacob Zuma wants the government to do away with suspending lazy, incompetent and corrupt public servants “with pay”, and he intends to twist Cosatu’s arm to agree to the changing of laws. Pres. Zuma – who was expected to convene a cabinet lekgotla at the weekend to tackle economic and political hurdles facing his […]