President Jacob Zuma was among the first few world leaders to offer congratulations and good wishes to Prime Minister-elect of India, Narendra...

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Government has welcomed Business Unity South Africa’s pledge to support the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP). “A high...

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Treasury has on Monday published for public comment a discussion paper regarding the taxation of alcoholic beverages in the country. The paper,... ...

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The combination of warmth and rustic colours transformed the evening of the Water Exhibition by Betty Rawson and Richard Ellis. The exhibition was titled water and shared the beauty of the aspects involved with the beauty of water. The Display of Imagination Betty displayed her art photography which transcended your...

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President Jacob Zuma was among the first few world leaders to offer congratulations and good wishes to Prime Minister-elect of India, Narendra Modi, for winning the general elections in India.

"With India under the leadership of Mr Modi, the Government of South Africa looks forward to consolidating the strong bilateral political and economic relations that exist between our two sister Republics,” said President Zuma on Saturday.

Modi’s party - which was the opposition - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won last week’s general elections. He will be sworn-in this week.

President Zuma also paid tribute to the outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for his “progressive leadership” of India.

President Zuma said Prime Minister Singh played a vital role in consolidating relations between South Africa and India.

South Africa and India already enjoy strong historical relations that have been formalized through various bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.

The two countries share membership of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) and the G20, amongst other multilateral groupings. – SAnews.gov.za

Sarajevo - At least 19 people were killed by floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), with hundreds of buildings damaged and over 10 000 people evacuated.

Heavy rain triggered the flooding, the worst in 120 years in the Balkan state.

A total of 16 people, mostly elderly, were confirmed dead in the worst-hit Republika Srpska (RS), an entity of BiH, Gojko Vasic, a local police head was quoted by media as saying.

Elsewhere in BiH, two women and an old man were killed during landslides, according to officials. A couple of villages remained cut off from the outside.

The death toll might climb as rescue efforts continue.

The Armed Forces of BiH sent trucks and helicopters to evacuate trapped citizens, and delivered drinking water, food, clothing and medicine to the flooding-hit areas.

The European Union Force (EUFOR), at the request of BiH government, sent four helicopters and military vehicles to transfer several hundred people to safe ground.

The European Union (EU) and neighboring countries rushed to help. The EU sent in five boats and 23 rescuers to BiH, while Slovenia dispatched one police helicopter and four boats. Austria pledged to send eight boats with crew.

The United States, Croatia and Macedonia also provided help in relief efforts. A British special response team with rescue equipment arrived in Sarajevo on Saturday night.

Though water levels in most flooded areas are receding, the danger of more landslides increases, expert warned, saying that evacuation must speed up to avoid more casualties.

BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija said damage caused by the floods in the country would amount to millions of U.S. dollars, "like that would be caused by a war."-SAnews.gov.za –Xinhua

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on voters in Guinea-Bissau to continue to show their sense of civic duty in today’s presidential run-off, which is expected to bring the country's transition period to an end.

Guinea-Bissau held the first presidential and legislative elections on April 13 since a military coup upended the impoverished west African country in 2012.

With no candidate won a majority in the first round, former Finance Minister Jose Mario Vaz is up against Nuno Gomes Nabiam, an independent candidate,.

Today’s election will be a key test for a fragile state plagued by powerful cocaine cartels and upended in a military coup two years ago.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban commended all national stakeholders for their efforts to ensure a credible electoral process, and the two presidential candidates for having conducted a peaceful and orderly electoral campaign.

He also lauded the generous support of international partners in the electoral process and expressed UN commitment to "continue to support the people of Guinea-Bissau as they conclude the transition, and begin the process of working towards re-building the state and promoting stability and sustainable development."

"Bissau-Guineans will take another step towards stability," Ban said in the statement, urging voters to "show the same sense of civic duty exhibited during the first round of presidential and legislative elections by turning out in large numbers and in a peaceful manner."

Meanwhile, Malawi will also take to the polls in the tightly contested presidential, parliamentary and regional polls on Tuesday.

About 7.5 million people - more than 90 percent of eligible voters - have registered.

President Joyce Banda will be facing three strong candidates. Last week, Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma visited Malawi and met AU Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), to offer solidarity and support to the people of Malawi, according to the African Union.

Dlamini Zuma reassured them of the AU's commitment to maintain stability through democratic and credible elections in Malawi and throughout the continent, said the statement.

She would also meet with officials of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Justice Maxon Mbendera, the security services and other state institutions, to ascertain the level of preparedness as well as to reaffirm the AU's support and commitment, added the statement. - SAnews.gov.za –Xinhua

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Calls for the release of the more than 200 Nigerian school girls, recently kidnapped by the Islamic militant group Boko-Haram, are intensifying in South Africa.

Women, Children and People with Disabilities Minister Lulu Xingwana on Wednesday again called for their safe return.

“We believe that this is a serious violation of the human rights of these girls and a crime against humanity. And we are calling on the whole world to stand up and fight against this horrific incident,” the minister said.

She was addressing about 600 girl learners from Moletsane High School in Soweto.

Yesterday marked exactly a month since the girls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok in north-eastern Borno state.

The minister urged South Africans to continue to stand in solidarity with the abducted school girls and their families and called for their immediate release, by using every avenue and platform available to say #BringBackOurGirls!

The South African government will work closely with the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN) and the government of Nigeria to assist with any support which they might need to ensure that the girls are found.

Learners at the school yesterday made a guard of honour and carried placards which called for the release of the Nigerian girls.

“We call on those who have taken the girls to return them because when you touch kids, you've gone too far, especially when it's kids trying to get an education,” said grade 12 learner Itumeleng Madidimalo (18).

Boko Haram's name translates to "Western education is a sin" in the local language.

The group especially opposes the education of women. Under its version of Sharia law, women should be at home raising children and looking after their husbands, not at school learning to read and write.

On Monday, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau offered to release the girls in exchange for militants imprisoned by the Nigerian government. Reports have emerged that the Nigerian government is ready to negotiate with the militant group for the release.

Meanwhile, a 30-member team from the US is in Nigeria to help with the search for the kidnapped girls. The US is also using satellite imagery and making reconnaissance flights over Nigeria. Britain has also sent experts to help with the search.

Minister Xingwana also used the occasion- which coincided with the annual Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day - to motivate the learners to further their education, saying it is an important weapon in the fight against poverty and gender based violence.

“The fact that the girls were taken from their school while they were writing exams says to us that their captors recognise that education is a powerful instrument of emancipation. They want to rob the Nigerian girls of their right to a better future and assign them to a life of poverty and abuse.”

Minister Xingwana said it was important that pupils, particularly girls, take advantage of the opportunity presented by government to learn about different careers on offer.

"The future is really in your hands. You can be whatever you want to be. Just go for it.” – SAnews.gov.za

Business confidence took a dip on April falling to 92.6 from 92.7 in March, said the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci). ...

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