Publisher

The Department of Local Government and Human Settlements in the North West in partnership with TSK Projects, is training passionate students in building construction.

The partnership between the department and TSK Projects started in August 2013 when 40 students were trained in different areas of construction.

Students from different institutions throughout South Africa pursuing financial assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will no longer have to apply manually for funding.

The NSFAS launched the online application system with the intention of making funding for higher education easily accessible and to cut long queues and delayed feedback.

Early in 2015, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform officially launched the Free State’s mobile land claims lodgement office.

Mobile land claims offices form part of government’s Land Restitution Programme.

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has hailed the two-day VIII International IT Forum -- which was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia -- as a success for the country’s growing multilateral relations.

In recent months, beneficiaries have complained about an increase in the number of deductions made against their monthly social grant payments without their knowledge.

To deal with this the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is conducting a national campaign to educate beneficiaries affected by unauthorised and illegal deductions.

The campaign aims to educate beneficiaries on how to lodge a dispute or make claims relating to unauthorised deductions through the newly-introduced Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM).

Malusi Gigaba is the Minister of Home Affairs, a position he has held since 2014.

About the Minister

Prior to his current position, he was Minister of Public Enterprises and has also served as a Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

Sport

Senzo Zindela (32) of Port Shepstone has always had a passion for the arts. Although he studied Business Management and Accounting, he says his creative juices got the better of him and he had to follow his passion.

Sport

Swimming South Africa is sending a strong 10-member team to represent the country at the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next month.

Local government

On 3 August eligible South Africans will vote in the 2016 Municipal Elections.

By voting citizens play a role in keeping ward councillors accountable and ensuring that municipalities deliver services and respond to everyone’s needs.

A vote also means that South Africans can make their voices heard during the elections.

Local government

Auditor-General (A-G) Kimi Makwetu said the Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga were among those provinces that were showing signs of recovery in managing their administrative and financial affairs.