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| “SOUTH AFRICA – A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN” |
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| South Africa celebrated Freedom Day on 27 April 2014, marking the day 20 years ago when the first democratic elections were held in the country. |
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Speaking during the national celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, President Jacob Zuma said: “We are succeeding to heal the wounds of our brutal and divided past. We are gradually making progress in building a common national identity, built on respect for one another and the love of our country. Step by step, we are building the South Africa that our selfless and committed freedom fighters fought for. We are making tremendous progress each year.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Arts and Culture has appointed renowned choreographer and dancer, Somizi Mhlongo, to create the Freedom Dance. The dance is inspired by various high points in the past twenty years and includes the dance moves of the iconic late former President Nelson Mandela as well as encompassing his raised fist after his release, “thobela” dance moves and others. The Freedom Dance can be downloaded on the link:
Tutorial video link http://youtu.be/ds6mCsSv2xs
Dance video dance http://youtu.be/HL28tlVFy-A
For the full speech of the President, go to: www.presidency.gov.za. |
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| PRESIDENT BESTOWS NATIONAL ORDERS |
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| This is the 20th Investiture ceremony since the inception of the new National Orders system, contributing towards unity, reconciliation and building the nation. |
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As part of the Freedom Day celebrations on 27 April 2014, President Jacob Zuma bestowed the country’s highest awards – the National Orders – on deserving citizens and eminent foreign nations who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and who have made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans.
To read the full speech containing the list of people awarded go to: www.presidency.gov.za. |
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| DEPUTY PRESIDENT MOTLANTHE UNDERTAKES A WORKING VISIT TO THE UK |
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| South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK) have long-standing historic relations which cover a wide spectrum and have a far-reaching impact. Cooperation between the two countries covers the fields of health, education, science and technology, energy, the environment, defence, police, arts and culture, and sports and recreation. |
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Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe paid a working visit to the UK from 23 to 26 April 2014.
During the visit, the Deputy President delivered a lecture at a conference organised by Oxford University, entitled “1994 – 2014: 20 Years of South African Democracy”. The conference was attended by British scholars and South African academics.
The Deputy President was also the guest of honour at the South African High Commission’s Freedom Day reception, which celebrated 20 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa.
The UK is one of the important sources of foreign direct investment into South Africa from Europe, with total investment for the period January 2009 to June 2012 at R44,3 billion. In 2012, the UK was South Africa’s seventh-largest export market. It also continues to be one of the important sources of long-haul tourists to South Africa. |
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| SA, MOZAMBIQUE TO FIGHT WILDLIFE CRIME |
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| Since January, 185 rhinos have been poached in the Kruger National Park, which borders Mozambique's Limpopo National Park to form a part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP). This makes Mozambique a priority for South Africa within the Southern African Development Community region in the country's fight against poaching. |
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South Africa and Mozambique have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a bid to combat rhino poaching within the GLTP.
The Biodiversity Conservation and Management MoU was signed in the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga on 17 April by Edna Molewa, South Africa's Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, and the Mozambican Minister of Tourism, Carvalho Muária.
The agreement aims to strengthen relations between the two countries to improve the protection of endangered species, such as rhino, while working towards a common and coordinated management approach to the transfrontier park. The development of a joint operations cross-border protocol by the park managements will be developed by the safety and security clusters of the two countries.
South Africa has committed R24,9 million to Mozambique to assist with anti-poaching efforts, from a R252-million Swedish and Dutch Postcode Lottery donation, secured by the Peace Parks Foundation.
This will assist with the implementation of counter-trafficking measures, the improvement of communication networks, the training and capacity-building of field rangers, the provision of vital operational equipment, the deployment of sniffer dogs and a community awareness project. The parks' management teams are finalising the project plans. Source: www.southafrica.info |
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| SA FIRMS PARTICIPATE IN ZIMBABWE TRADE FAIR |
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| Countries represented in the fair include China, Brazil, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Poland, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria. The United States will also participate in this year's fair after a long absence from the annual trade showcase. |
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The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) recently led a group of South African companies to the 2014 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Elizabeth Thabethe said that export sales flowing from South Africa's participation in the fair over the last three years, as reported by the companies involved, amounted to R6,6 million in 2011, R7,1 million in 2012 and R55,6 million in 2013.
Participating companies have been assisted by the dti through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (EMIA).
Source: www.southafrica.info |
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| NEW BUYERS “IMPRESSED WITH SA WINES” |
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| Rabobank, a global financial services company which published its latest quarterly report on the international wine industry on 14 April, says that both bulk and bottled wine exports from South Africa enjoyed strong growth in 2013. |
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South Africa's competitively priced wine is attracting new buyers, who are impressed by the quality of the wines, a recent report by Rabobank found.
Rabobank analysts say the weak rand, coupled with rising bulk wine prices in other wine-producing regions, made South Africa wine more competitive and attracted new buyers "who were impressed by the quality they found".
According to the report, exports of South African bulk wine rose in 2013 by 37,6%, outpacing bottled wine growth. Bulk sales – wine sold before it is bottled or bagged – now account for 65% of South Africa's wine exports. Overall, exports increased 26% in 2013. Source: www.southafrica.info |
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| CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR LAUNCHED IN DURBAN |
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| The centre includes a manufacturing pilot plant for recycling compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs using a patented technology. |
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The Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, officially launched the R8-million Durban branch of the South African Chemical Technology Incubator (Chemin) at the Westville Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban recently.
The incubation centre offers free support services to small chemical technology businesses in the province, as well as access to a state-of-the-art laboratory containing specialised analytical equipment. Current incubated enterprises focus on chemical detergent, cosmetics and healthcare products.
According to the dti, Chemin's focus is on developing the downstream chemicals manufacturing industry in South Africa. This includes the manufacture of relatively high-value pure chemicals for use as active ingredients in specialised chemicals for industrial and non-consumer applications (such as paints, mining chemicals, textile specialities, and paper chemicals).
Chemin's Durban branch was established in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) under the dti's Incubation Support Programme, which has seen the establishment of 42 incubators in various sectors across the country. Source: www.southafrica.info |
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| iNUMBER NUMBER SET TO ROCK SA CINEMAS |
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| The film had its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival. Los Angeles-based production and distribution company Wrekin Hill Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to the film and is looking toward a US nationwide theatrical release in the spring of 2014. In addition, Universal Pictures optioned the remake rights to the film at the end of last year. |
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Presley Chweneyagae of Tsotsi fame has returned to the South African big screen with a crime thriller iNumber Number, the fourth film by award-winning director Donovan Marsh, pictured above. The film opened in cinemas nationwide on 24 April 2014.
Chweneyage stars opposite lead S'dumo Mtshali in an action-packed story about a pair of cops battling corrupt colleagues as well as a gang of armoured-car thieves.
Chweneyage has performed in numerous theatre productions and in 2005 landed the lead role in Gavin Hood's film adaptation of Athol Fugard's Tsotsi, which went on to win the Oscar for best foreign film in 2006, as well as the best actor award for Chweneyage at the 2006 Bangkok Film Festival.
iNumber Number was produced by Marsh and Quizzical Pictures' Harriet Gavshon, JP Potgieter and Mariki van der Walt, and executive produced by Nim Geva and Owen Kessel.
To watch the trailor click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1tfXb9jUELI |
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