Cape Town – Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom says Robben Island, one of the world’s top tourist attraction spots, will soon generate its power from solar panels. The island, which once held the likes of former President Nelson Mandela and struggle stalwarts Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada, amongst others, will be a pilot site for the [...]Solar Power plan for Robben Island is a post from: EconSpire

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Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Af […] The post South Africans to fight HIV appeared first on HealthnSpire. … HealthnSpire » News South Africans to fight HIV is a post from: All4DataSouth Africans to fight HIV is a post from: All4Data



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Felix Kandie might well not have made it to the start line of the Volkswagen Prague Marathon on Sunday morning, feeling the effects of a sore throat. But he decided to give it a go and his resolution paid off handsomely. “I wanted to see how far I could get,” said Kandie. In the end, [...]Felix Kandie wins Prague Marathon 2015 is a post from: Time-to-Run Marathon

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Lagos - Up to 300 unidentified females have been rescued by Nigerian troops in the northeast Sambisa forest, following a daring and precise operation on Tuesday.

National Defence spokesperson Major General Chris Olukolade said he could not confirm the identity of the freed victims and their origins.

The spokesperson added that he could not state if any were from Chibok, until after thorough screening and proper investigations.

"I can only confirm the rescue this afternoon of 200 girls and 93 women in different camps in the forest. We are yet to determine their origin as all the freed persons are now being screened and profiled," he said.

Olukolade added that at least three major terrorist camps have been destroyed in the well-coordinated attacks that include the destruction of the notorious Boko Haram's Tokumbere camp in the Sambisa forest.

About 300 schoolgirls were abducted from the remote Nigerian town of Chibok a year ago. Dozens of the girls escaped but 219 remain missing.

The kidnapping provoked international outrage, but the majority are still missing despite Western pledges to help track them down and a Chadian attempt to broker their release.

Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to make every effort to free the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants a year ago, but admitted it was not clear whether they would ever be found.

Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, claims the girls had been "married off" to his fighters.

Boko Haram Islamic militants have kidnapped at least 2000 girls and women since the start of 2014, turning them into cooks, sex slaves and fighters, and sometimes killing those who refused to comply.

About 800 000 children have been forced to flee fighting, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The number of children absent from primary school in Nigeria has increased from eight million in 2007 to 10.5 million – the highest figure in the world, the world's leading organization for children said. - SAnews.gov.za-Xinhua

At its 13th edition the Zurich Marathon enjoyed almost perfect conditions and new record numbers: 9’698 runners had registered for the event, 8’782 took the start and 8’675 made it to the finish. Seen these numbers the 50 cases that the first aid had to deal with are a tiny amount, all the more so [...]Records at Zurich Marathon is a post from: Time-to-Run Marathon

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Cheshari Jacob and Souad Ait Salem won the 25th edition of the HAJ Hannover Marathon on Sunday. In very good weather conditions 31 year-old Kenyan Jacob clocked 2:09:32. In a close finish Ethiopia’s Chala Bekele had been in the lead briefly in the final kilometre but then had to settle for second in 2:09:42. Martin [...]Jacob and Ait Salem take Hannover 2015 title is a post from: Time-to-Run Marathon

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An Indian woman from Earth’s most threatened tribe is fighting for her life after being contacted in Brazil’s north-eastern Amazon rainforest. Health disaster strikes recently contacted Indians in Brazil Jakarewyj, a member of the Awá tribe, has contracted flu and a severe respiratory disease after her group was “surrounded by loggers” and contacted in late [...] Health concerns for Brazil Indians is a post from: EconSpire

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Government says its current 5.9% offer in the wage negotiations is fair and reasonable, and takes into account the current economic situation of the...

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With the conclusion of the 90 Day Action Plan, South Africans now have an aviation asset, says South African Airways (SAA) acting Chief Executive Officer, Nico Bezuidenhout.

“As the 90 Day Action Plan period concluded South Africans now have a national aviation asset that is well on its way to relative stability,” he said on Thursday.

Briefing reporters, Bezuidenhout said that as far back as December the airline was in a precarious position and that it was technically not a going concern and was experiencing substantial liquidity and solvency challenges among others. “The company was in trouble,” said the acting CEO.

Bezuidenhout said the objective of the 90 Day Action Plan, which concluded on 24 March, was to stabilise the organisation and that “we put it on a path to recovery”.

During the duration of the plan, SAA focussed on intervention areas such as commercial stability to restore solvency, governance which included the improvement of control mechanisms and the third being a strategy to revise the Long Term Turnaround Strategy (LTTS).

“When I stood here in December I said that you will hold me accountable for R1.25 billion in changes that we have to effect,” he said, adding that the changes would consist of route and network changes, renegotiation of contracts and restructuring of lease agreements and aircraft activities and actions focussed at reducing the cost of aircraft ownership.

The acting CEO said that the going concern status of the business was effectively restored at the end of January and the airline was able to hold its Annual General Meeting.

Beyond that the company focussed on restructuring its debt profile.

“We’ve also realised substantial cost reductions, SAA has in the last three years reduced its unit costs by approximately 17%.”

Over the 90 day period, the airline looked at renegotiating a number of contracts, supply contracts for the full fiscal ending March 2015. “Cost reduction was just over R400 million. Beyond that we also renegotiated aircraft leases on specifically our A340 fleet, those savings that have already materialised of renegotiated leases in place, amounts to approximately R120 million and the total will amount to R270 million,” he explained.

Over the 90 days, the airline revisited the areas where it flies to. The airline no longer flies to Beijing which cost the organisation approximately R1 billion over three years. “That route has now been removed and therefore those losses have been removed,” he said, adding that connectivity had not been sacrificed as others carriers. The route to Mumbai has also been removed.

The airline is to also focus on African operations. “Our African operations are by far our most profitable operations,” noted Bezuidenhout.

“Total annualised EBITDA improvement from the commencement of our new financial year on 1 April 2015 realised through the 90 Day Action Plan will amount to R1.25 billion as per the initial target as agreed in November 2014.”

This consists of R440 million through network changes, R290 million relating to fleet financing, among others.

Additionally, the airline has reconstituted the board. In a statement on Thursday, National Treasury said that the Finance Minister has extended the term of the interim Board for a further period of six months or until such time as a permanent Board is appointed.

“This extension ensures that the Board continues its business whilst allowing the National Treasury the opportunity to finalise the Cabinet approval process,” it said.

This extension was made on 28 March.

The airline’s LTTS was also revisited taking input from National Treasury as the shareholder department.

The airline has identified R2.2 billion in additional cost savings that it will be targeting in the next 18-24 months. “It consists of labour cost. Over the course of the 90 day period we deeply assessed this business in terms of what is the head count structure like.”

The airline is currently in talks with labour and has looked at a voluntary reduction in early retirements. – SAnews.gov.za