Having had a wonderful week in Storlien’s Winter Wonderland we were finally homeward bound. We had lived in a bubble for 7 days and thanks to my cousins Theresa and Cecilia we had been able to spend some time in Jämtland’s wonderful landscape yet again. This week was well deserved, a short break from the [...]Back in Stockers! is a post from: Fashionable Mama



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Pretoria - Accounting firm SekelaXabiso will lead Transnet’s internal audit function for the next five years, the transport and logistics state owned...

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Zimbabwian born sisters, Delia and Daphne Chiunye will make their stage racing debut the weekend of 19 – 21 April 2013 when they take on the ProNutro AfricanX Trailrun presented by New Balance, South Africa’s most exciting three day stage trail run. Delia and Daphne were given an entry for the ProNutro AfricanX Trailrun as [...]Chiunye Sisters tsake on AfricanX is a post from: Trail Running South Africa



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Johannesburg – The best South African businesses in various sectors of the economy were showcased at the glittering inaugural SA Premier Business...

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Tshikundamalema – It’s the precious liquid without which there can be no life. This is the message Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa left with the community of Tshikundamalema, as South Africa joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Water Week. “We must preserve water. Without water, there is no life,” she [...]Saving every drop is a post from: EconSpire



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Pretoria - South Africa has condemned the reported use of chemical weapons in the civil war in Syria earlier this week.

This comes as South Africans across the country mark national Human Rights Day on Thursday.

"The alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria is of serious concern and would introduce an extremely dangerous element into the conflict, which is wholly unacceptable by any standard," International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim said in a statement.

It was reported earlier this week that a missile containing a chemical substance was fired into a village in Allepo province, killing 31 people and injuring 100.

Ebrahim said South Africa was “gravely concerned” about the serious escalation of the conflict in Syria.

“We have consistently called on all the parties to the conflict to stop the violence as well as protect the rights of the Syrian population.”

He said since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, South Africa had condemned the abuse of human rights, in particular violations of the rights of vulnerable groups, such as women and children.

Weapons of mass destruction were particularly heinous because they targeted innocent civilians. All the parties to the current conflict had a responsibility to protect and preserve human rights.

“South Africa reaffirms its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria. There is no military solution to the conflict.

“The only way to stop the further destruction of Syrian society is for the parties to come together in dialogue without delay,” Ebrahim said.

He said any political transition needed to reflect the will of the Syrian people, adding that South Africa rejected any calls for forced regime change and outside military interference or any action not in line with the Charter of the United Nations.

“South Africa calls for restraint on the part of all parties to the conflict and again emphasises the need for an immediate political settlement as expressed by the Geneva Joint Communiqué.” – SAnews.gov.za

ROAD RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY Kaiteriteri Gold Half Marathon, 16 March: Phil Costley 1h 13m 26s, Simon Leaning 1h 20m 12s, Brian Kemp 1h 23m 44s. Andrea Malpas 1h 25m 59s, Klaartje van Schie 1h 27m 16s, Colette Read 1h 33m 59s. 10km: Stephen Blair 39m 47s, Ben Tuck 40m 57s. Robyn Deane 41m 13s, [...]Races ending 17th March is a post from: Time-to-Run New Zealand



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Harare - A draft constitution that limits the presidential term and protects a wide range of individual rights has been approved by the vast majority of Zimbabwean voters, the country's election body announced on Tuesday.

The passage of the draft, which still needs endorsement of the parliament, will set the stage for presidential elections slated later this year. An expected fierce battle in which long-time ruling President Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF will pit against arch rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of MDC-T to end the troubled four-year-old coalition government.

Lovemore Sekeramyi, chief elections officer, told reporters in Harare on Tuesday that the draft passed by over 3 million votes while only less than 180 000 people voted against it. The election body previously said there are about 6 million eligible voters across that country.

Southern African Development Community Observation Mission, which led the largest international observers’ team for the referendum, said in a statement that in general the polling process was conducted in "a peaceful, transparent and smooth manner".

"Although some of the concerns raised are pertinent, they are, nevertheless, not of such magnitude as to affect the credibility of the overall referendum," the statement said.

The charter is a major stepping stone for general elections set for late 2013. It for the first time limits a president to two five-year terms, but is not retroactive, meaning Mugabe, already the eldest African leader at the age of 89, could continue to rule until he turns 99 in 2023.

The charter also protects a wide range of individual freedoms, curtails police powers and introduces a constitutional court.

After the announcement, the parliament is expected to convene to adopt the draft before it becomes effective.

All of the country's major political parties have agreed upon the draft.

The new constitution draft seeks to replace the current one written at Lancaster House, London, prior to Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980.

The constitutional process started after the power-sharing government was formed in the wake of the inconclusive presidential elections in 2008.

The ease of political strains since then has helped the country bottom out from the economic abyss particularly marked by a hyper- inflation but Zimbabwe, once the bread basket for Africa, remains financially beleaguered today.

Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai want the elections to end the coalition government so that they can effectively push forward their reform agenda. – SAnews.gov.za-Xinhua

New York City Half Marathon – 17 March 2013 Battling freezing temperatures Mary Davies finished 15th in the women’s section in 1h 12m 6s, just 16 seconds outside her personal best set in Edmonton Canada last August. Caroline Rotich of Kenya cut a minute off her best time in winning in 1h 9m 9s. Rotich [...]Davies runs New York Half is a post from: Time-to-Run New Zealand



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Wittgenstein and Freud meet in heaven and, after some time discussing what Vienna was like in the early part of the twentieth century, they get down to business. Wittgenstein goes first. With the slightly ironic, knowing smile that denizens of heaven tend to adopt when talking about earthly things, he starts to talk: “Well, Sigmund, [...]Wittgenstein and Freud in Heaven is a post from: Understanding Wittgenstein



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