South African soccer fans are among the most colorful in the world, leaving lasting impressions on television screens with their colourful gear and sometimes near-silly antics.

When 24-year-old Mphafi Mamapepe lost her job as a facilitator last year, her biggest fear became a reality. While she was uncertain of what lay ahead, her determination to support her one year old son and her family set her on a different path. Today Mamapepe is one of hundreds of beneficiaries of government's Training of the Unemployed Project which aims to minimise the negative effects of the recession, Edwin Tshivhidzo reports.

Pretoria - In less than 24 days South Africa will host the first African World Cup which is not only expected to bring in tourists in their numbers but also create a lasting legacy.

Durban – Dumasani Ngema is a colourful tour guide and his job is to tell visitors the vibrant story of one of South Africa’s most famous people, King Shaka.

Pretoria - While many soccer fans have not been able to get their hands on the coveted 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets, they will still be able to experience the biggest soccer extravaganza in Africa.

Pretoria - Packed with information, ranging from the stadiums to accommodation, locations, health facilities and Fan Fests, the 2010 FIFA Fan Guide is a one-stop information resource to ensure soccer fans' experience of the World Cup is safe, secure and unforgettable.

Cape Town - When Cynthia Lombo started as a contractor with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Working for Water, it was a daily battle trying to get her workers to work because she had no vehicle of her own, but now four years later she is the proud owner of two bakkies and a trailer.

Durban- In 2006, Australian soccer fan Steven Barnes camped in Munich for the FIFA World Cup and in 2010 he will be one of the thousands of soccer lovers who will call Sahara Stadium in Durban, home.

Pretoria- While Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, admits that the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) requires ongoing research and development, she says the department has started to make improvements on the curriculum, as per recommendations by the NCS task team, writes Gabi Khumalo.

Durban - When 14-year-old Siya Dlamini landed on the street after getting into trouble with the law, he never dreamt that one day he would be showing off his fancy footwork in front of his peers from around the world, writes Kemantha Govender.

Pretoria - Home advantage will give an added boost to the six African teams who qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup - the first to be held on African soil, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

Cape Town - Today, the South African economy is two-thirds larger than it was in 1994, when Nelson Mandela took office as the country's first democratically elected president.

Pretoria - Abram Mofokeng and Johannes Sefatsa were only 20 at the time of the Sharpeville Massacre. But the tragic events of 21 March 1960 will always linger as a horrible memory despite the freedom that South Africans now enjoy as a result of that day.

Cape Town - While Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has rejected calls for free education for all, he has vowed to present a "compelling case" for poor students to get a better deal, writes Chris Bathembu.

Increased measures aimed at reducing HIV transmission from mother to child by 2015 have been put in place throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and with bold and life changing policies set to come into effect in South Africa as of April this year, this target might very well be within reach, writes Gabi Khumalo.

Pretoria - The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) is all set to announce its decision on electricity tariffs on Wednesday, writes Neo Semono.

With emotions and tempers still flaring a few weeks after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) held public hearings into Eskom's proposed 35 percent tariff increase in electricity prices, the public awaits NERSA's decision with baited breath on how hard their pockets will be hit in weeks to come, writes Neo Semono.

Pretoria - When Senior Superintendent Tummi Golding joined the South African Police Service (SAPS) in 2002, her mission was to help those affected by crime and her passion for the police service has certainly paid off all these years later, writes Edwin Tshivhidzo.

Pretoria - Death and destruction has gripped the people of Haiti and for the South African men and women who were part of the heroic rescue efforts in the earthquake hit country, the vivid pictures of devastation will forever remain with them, writes Xoliswa Zulu.

Pretoria - Correctional Services Deputy Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize has officially opened the newly launched Training Centre for Women Survivors of War in Uganda which will give much needed support to the victims of war.

Sexual harassment in the workplace has long been regarded as taboo, but it continues to plague countless organisations, writes Neo Semono.

With soaring electricity prices making many South Africans cringe, people could soon switch to alternative power in their homes, writes Neo Semono.

Groups working with women and children believe that the re-introduction of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units, is the right step in the fight against crime on women and children.

When five-year-old Shanae Muir disappeared from her Warner Beach home in KwaZulu-Natal on 9 July 2005, the nation was gripped with anxiety and sorrow for her family.

Cape Town - A new Industrial Policy Action Plan being developed by the Department of Trade and Industry aims to boost job creation by encouraging the procurement of more locally-produced goods and services for the government's infrastructure-spend programme.

Most education stakeholders have welcomed the recommendations made by a task team that was composed to look at the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS).

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka has called for tighter control of human resource management in municipalities to effectively deal with service delivery protests. Nthambeleni Gabara reports.

Cape Town - Government has sent a clear signal to all that it will focus more of its efforts on improving service delivery and creating jobs, while cutting down on wasteful expenditure as the world still reels from the effects of the global financial crisis.

Johannesburg - A new international report has indicated that South Africa's HIV and AIDS programmes are starting to show major signs of advancement in the area of Antiretroviral Treatment (ART).

With only a few weeks left before almost 100 countries gather in Copenhagen for yet another round of talks on climate change, pressure is mounting for both the developed and developing nations to change their behaviour, writes Chris Bathembu.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, launched in Johannesburg this week, is set to change the face of public transport in South Africa, writes Chris Bathembu.

Once she gets going, there's no stopping her. And you better be brave enough to try and cut short this energetic woman once she starts talking about a topic that obviously means a lot to her.

When President Jacob Zuma recently told school principals to interrogate why education policies have failed to deliver excellence, for one person in the room, the reality sank that the buck would stop with her and colleague Deputy Minister Enver Surty, to see that this state of affairs is turned around.

When Deputy Minister for Public Works Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu was in Grade 4, she made a commitment to herself that she would change the world.

FIFA 2010 World Cup qualification action is heating up in football loving countries all over the world as qualifying matched near the end, writes Proffesor Ndawonde.

Residents living in Mushiyane in Giyani, who have never watched television or cooked on an electric stove, will now have access to these services thanks to government's electrification project, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

Pretoria - Leaders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold their ordinary summit next week under growing pressure to clear up the political logjams in Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

As a white lawyer in an apartheid South Africa, veteran Constitutional Court Judge and author Albie Sachs knew that to fight and defeat the oppressive system, he had to take advantage of his skin colour, writes Chris Bathembu.

Johannesburg - South Africa needs to break "old-boy" barriers and appoint more women on the bench, one of the country's respected legal minds and Constitutional Court Judge, Kate O'Regan said on Tuesday.

Despite the further cut in the repo rate which will bring reprieve to cash-strapped South Africans, consumers should still be wary about spending beyond their budgets and buying on credit, writes Neo Semono.

The major upgrading and renovations Pretoria embarked on to ensure the successful hosting of FIFA Confederations Cup matches will finally come to fruition in the next few weeks, writes Bathandwa Mbola.
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It was on this day five years ago that FIFA President Sepp Blatter opened an envelope and slid out a piece of paper with South Africa's name on it - announcing who had won the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

As the guiding light of independence in Africa, South Africa will on Wednesday further demonstrate to the world its commitment to democracy, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

The technology the Independent Electoral Commission has employed for the 2009 General Elections will ensure transparency, writes Chris Bathembu.

Much pressure has been placed on the Group of 20 countries meeting this week, to map a way forward to respond to the global economic crisis while ensuring they can keep their promises to developing countries, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

For two Johannesburg youth, volunteering for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament will provide more than just an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, writes Simangaliso Zwane.

If the walls of the old house of former President, Nelson Mandela in Orlando West Soweto could speak, they would tell vivid stories of the liberation struggles fought during apartheid, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

Pretoria - The country will have its first ever Child Justice Act by April next year, a law that tries to balance the rights of victims with the reality that juvenile offenders will be adults one day and that they need to be rehabilitated.

South Africa has the capability to lead in the fight against piracy off the African continent, says Commander of the United States Naval Forces Mark Fitzgerald, writes Edwin Tshivhidzo.

Young awaiting-trail offenders are being taught how to manage their anger, be disciplined and live among their community as a normal member of society at secure care centres, writes Kagiso Metswamere.

Border police, government departments and a number of stakeholders are working hard to prevent illegal and dangerous goods being smuggled into the country via South Africa’s border posts, writes Proffesor Ndawonde.

Harare - Business operations in Zimbabwe are once again showing signs of a recovery after a decade of political deadlock in that country as a result of the establishment of a government of national unity, writes Mugove Chigada.

Young aspiring dramatists in the North West province are hard at work preparing to compete at the upcoming Drama Against Crime Festival which will kick off in March, writes Kagiso Metswamere.

While only a handful of those that were forcibly removed from the once vibrant town of Sophiatown are alive today, the pain of being uprooted during forced removals is still all too real for those who experienced it, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

The African Development Bank has developed a four-step plan to minimise the burden of the global financial crisis on African countries, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

Africa’s current leaders have a great responsibility to realise the dream set out by the continent’s forefathers of independence years ago, that of a politically and economically united continent, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

Challenges faced by police officers daily are many. Besides being perpetually at risk; other challenges such as bribery, intimidation and retribution are also ever-present. But, many still manage to give honour and dignity to the uniforms they wear. Edwin Tshivhidzo and Professor Ndawonde spoke to a few such officers.

One day in each year is reserved for South Africans to reflect on and acknowledge the sacrifices members of South African Police Services make everyday in ensuring the country is a safer place, writes Proffesor Ndawonde.

The world is watching in anticipation as stadiums go up, roads and highways are built or upgraded, and a country once faced with overwhelming odds draws closer to hosting the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet, writes Michael Appel.

The man who put meaning back into the words "Yes we can!" has been inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, but after facing insurmountable odds to be elected president, more challenges await Barack Obama, writes Michael Appel.

Although South African motorists can for the moment enjoy the sudden travellers euphoria after the price of unleaded 93 octane dropped by R1.36 in January, fuel increases in 2009 are likely on the horizon some economists believe, writes Michael Appel.

Economists agree that as the global recession takes hold and economic growth comes under threat, interest rates are set to drop spurring a revival in South Africa’s property market by early 2010, writes Michael Appel.

The massive slowdown in the United States economy which led to over 2.6 million job cuts in the US in 2008 brought the global economy to its knees threatening local economic growth in South Africa ushering in possible interest rate cuts, writes Michael Appel.

Although South African’s began their December 2008 holidays on a wave of jubilation as interest rates were cut by 50 basis points, the strength of the Rand, which influences almost all aspects of everyday life is likely to see-saw economists predict, writes Michael Appel.

Pretoria - The Olive Leaf Foundation has successfully expanded its Men as Partners (MAP) programme from merely being a workshop exploring gender roles to actively promoting gender equality and reducing the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS.

Thanks to the Ikhaya Lethemba (Home of Hope) Centre, Sheila Nxumalo, 43, and her four children are now in a safe place and can finally put the four years of abuse they endured behind them, writes Gabi Khumalo.

Many women find the courage to break the silence around their abuse and speak out stemming from the encouragement to do so during the 16 Days of Activism campaign, writes Gabi Khumalo.

The terrorist attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai have shocked the world with their brazenness and brutality and added to a mounting sense of insecurity in the city.

It is not just bruises and broken bones which amount to abuse, sometimes the unseen psychological scars of emotional abuse have a much more devastating effect, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

Skilled farmers in the small community of Jerico in the North West are doing their part to ensure emerging farmers learn the necessary skills to manage their own farms, writes Kagiso Metswamere.

Legendary musical icon, Miriam Makeba's name is synonymous with the world wide struggle against apartheid and for freedom in South Africa.

Pretoria - A renewal of conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the potential to spiral out of control into full blown ethnic violence, an analyst has warned.

While many South Africans went into a state of panic following an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in September, not many knew that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) had been dealing with similar crises successfully for years, writes Luyanda Makapela.

The North West province's first commercial radio station has become a major hit, with the station's popular DJ's being heard in taxis, taverns and homes across the province, including in remote areas, writes Kagiso Metswamere.

South Africans living in rural areas, who have never watched television or listened to the radio in their lives, will soon have access to these services over the next few years, writes Proffesor Ndawonde.

Pretoria - Grade 9's in schools across the country will soon have to write an exam to test whether or not they are ready to enter their final matric year.

This week's Tripartite Summit held in Uganda agreed on a Council of Ministers to be convened within twelve months to determine the time frame for the establishment of a single Free Trade Area (FTA) comprising the three Regional Economic Communities (RECs), writes Bathandwa Mbola.

The City of Cape Town has come up with several clever ideas to cover its budget deficit and deal with the escalating construction costs of Green Point Stadium, writes Michael Appel.

Many motorists across Gauteng have seen the Gautrain route taking shape along the highways and its stations begin to look less like rubble and more like buildings, but in a workshop in the east of Johannesburg, the Gautrain itself is beginning to take form, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

Child support grants play a vital role in enabling caregivers to access food of sufficient nutritional quality and variety to meet the needs of their children, writes Gabi Khumalo.

Consumers should continue to be cautious with their spending despite global markets stabilising and Wall Street registering its highest gains in a single day since the darkest days of the Great Depression, writes Michael Appel.

The Department of Local Government and Housing in Limpopo has taken calculated steps to increase the number of formal houses in the province over the last three years, writes Proffesor Ndawonde.

The causes and effects of the US mortgage crisis on world markets is often lost in financial jargon and economic terminology, with many South Africans left wondering whether they are being directly affected by it, writes Michael Appel.

Its all systems go according to the first group of anxious and excited matriculants to write their final exams under the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS), writes Gabi Khumalo.

The South African education system has achieved a number of positive results in the last 14 years, but is still in a process of transition and suffering from a lack of resources and infrastructure, writes Gabi Khumalo.

South Africa's participation in peace keeping missions on the African continent has begun to bear fruits with the successful integration and training of former armed forces, writes Edwin Tshivhidzo.

The work of the Presidency has been performed in a manner that meets the requirements of the state, writes Sholain Govender.

France - Science and Technology Minister, Mosibudi Mangena, will on Thursday preside over the unveiling of Africa’s first locally developed electric car at the Paris Motor Show in France.

Chanting and songs of freedom, mixed with tears of joy and pain, accompanied the handing over of the remains of 14 activists who were killed in the liberation struggle, to their families. writes Gabi Khumalo.

Cultural heritage is important to the identity of a society and dance, songs and art-forms have been beacons of hope and comfort in times of need for many centuries, write Proffesor Ndawonde and Bathandwa Mbola.

The Public Hospitals Performance Report released by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has succeeded in providing baseline information on the standard of medical facilities in South Africa so that benchmarks can be set and performance improved, writes Gabi Khumalo.

Zimbabwe’s power-sharing agreement has secured a new beginning for the country, steering it away from years of economic and humanitarian despair, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

The North West Cultural Calabash festival has a star-studded line-up this year that is expected to attract over 10 000 people, writes Kagiso Metswamere.

Nokuthula Mamkayi was one of hundreds of jobless youth in the Eastern Cape. Feeding her two young children presented a daily challenge. But all that changed this year for the young 28-year-old, with the rollout of a sanitation project in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality.

The gap between healthcare provision for the privileged and those less fortunate South Africans will decrease with the rollout of two life-saving vaccines, writes Sholain Govender.

The world of construction is being seen more and more as an attractive career choice for women, as it gradually sheds off its image of being a traditionally male dominated industry.

The events of 11 September 2001 transformed not only the United States but the entire world forever as the greatest modern superpower changed the focus and direction of its foreign policy writes Michael Appel.

With vitamin A supplementation, death from measles can be reduced by 50 percent, death from diarrhoea can be reduced by 40 percent and overall mortality can be reduced by 25 percent, writes Gabi Khumalo.

In an effort to reduce deaths and injuries on South Africa's roads during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Department of Transport will soon release a roads regulation information booklet for tourists, writes Luyanda Makapela.

A derelict piece of land in Ga-Rankuwa, Zone 7, is no longer a dumping site full of rubbish, but it has become a haven for children filled with grass and indigenous trees, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

Pretoria - "Friend, brother, comrade" are three words that describe the relationship between South Africans and the Chinese.

Government departments working together with various civil society stakeholders through the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) have helped many victims of gender-based violence overcome their problems, writes Gabi Khumalo.

Research is underway into the possibility of using renewable and eco-friendly technology in the construction of South Africa's very first aerospace manufacturing facility, the Centurion Aerospace Village (CAV) writes Michael Appel.

A central thrust of the government's programme of action is premised on the clarion call to all South Africans to lend a hand to build a better life for all.