Questions are being raised over the legality of the process of distribution of lottery funds to charities and good causes. At the same time, the Minister for Social Development, Zola Skweyiya, this week poured cold water on a plan by Uthingo, the company granted a licence to operate the lottery, to introduce daily draws in November.

In a recent press statement, the National Lotteries Board responds to the newly released report – “Smoke and Mirrors”- which looks at the National Lottery and the role of the Board. The report was commissioned by the Non Profit Partnership (NPP) and researched by the Centre for Civil Society (CCS).

Cracks opened Tuesday in the hull of a burning Italian cargo ship grounded offshore of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park on South Africa's east coast. An estimated 450 metric tons of oil have already spilled from the vessel into the waters near the country's first World Heritage Site, but so far the fragile wetland environment has been spared.

Two of the three investigations into corruption allegations involving the R335m Komatiland forestry privatisation deal may have been concluded, but the real challenge still lies ahead for government: do they now cancel the deal or move swiftly to conclude it?

I loved reading your journal the first time and will enjoy doing so in future. It's excellent reading.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Juan Miguel Petit, will visit South Africa from 16 to 26 September 2002. The Special Rapporteur intends to use the visit to examine in particular the situation of rape and sexual violence against children, trafficking of children into and through South Africa, and the use of children in prostitution. He will also seek further information about HIV/AIDS in the context of these abuses.

Negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire agreement between the transitional government of Burundi and armed opposition movements will resume in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Thursday, 19 September, according to a statement issued by the office of South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma on Monday.

A further comment anent the great march from Alex to Sandton. The gathering of multiple voices, multiple concerns and multiple demands at Speakers Corner, Sandton, was the new face of the new struggle. It is the face of resistance that will confront the new corporate power which threatens us globally. It comes at the necessary time. European power theorists are discussing worriedly, as they did at a recent meeting during the World Summit, "The future of Multilateralism". But in the U.S. talk of a new and greater unilateralism (under terms as various as "the grand strategy" or "the breakout strategy") which will greatly diminish national sovereignty and give the United States, as the all over-ruling power the right of pre-emptive and preventive strikes anywhere in the world, not merely to terrorist threats but also to any power which might threaten the superiority of the United States. It is for this reason that the new face of resistance comes at a necessary time.

A national hotline has been established to mobilise the community goodwill that exists towards AIDS orphans, according to the Department of Health. At a press briefing in Pretoria, officials from the department’s new Khomanani communication campaign said that a national survey had shown that over 66 percent of South Africans were prepared to help AIDS orphans, but only seven percent were actually doing as most did not know how they could help.

The National Development Agency on Thursday handed over a cheque for R200 000 to the community of Msinga in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Despite a damning report on the state of lottery payouts, the head of the National Lotteries Board says the board is doing everything by the book.Sershan Naidoo, chief executive of the National Lotteries Board, said amendments in the legislation, due to come into force by the end of this year or early next year, would make it easier for the board and the Department of Trade and Industry to distribute some of the unspent millions.

In a seven-year educational transformational programme for Eastern Cape schools, DFID has injected R360-million for the so–called Imbewu programme. The programme includes among other things turning 1500 Eastern Cape schools into self-governing schools. The programme will be officially launched at the JS Skenjana School in Idutywa today.

The UK government has granted R330-million to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. This multi-donor effort has been pledged over five years to support the UK’s strategic plan to ensure the efficient management of water and forestry resources so that they benefit the poor.

Four months have passed since the Global Fund for HIV/Aids, TB and malaria approved a multi-million rand donation, provoking the anger of Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. She met the fund's executive director, Dr Richard Feachem, in Geneva on Friday to discuss her opposition on the allocation of the money to KwaZulu-Natal. But they failed to resolve the issue.

An Orange Farm school has received R1,4-million from Austrian companies attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development, according to Education Africa. The money will be used to build a science, environment and technology centre at the Masibambane College, south of Soweto.

Deutsche Bank South Africa has formally launched its Africa Foundation aimed at supporting and uplifting impoverished individuals and communities. Deutsche Bank Board of Directors approved a US$15-million endowment for the Africa Foundation in 2001.

Personally, I'd love to get a huge pipe out to the Internet. The true Internet junkie can never have enough bandwidth. But... is it really worth it? Tracey Burrows takes a look at the hype and the facts surrounding Telkom's recent introduction of this service to a few South Africa users. The reader comments are worth browsing.

ITWeb - Government will prioritise three key areas in its drive to develop Information and communication technology in SA. This was decided at the high-powered Presidential International Advisory Council on Information Society and Development in the Western Cape at the weekend.

Perceptions of widespread racism, and lingering concerns about safety and security, are among the key challenges the Western Cape must tackle to make more of its tourist appeal.

Delegates at the Global People's Forum called for governments to make sure that children have access to health, education and clean water. But for the world's 100 million street children a 2015 implementation date might just be out of reach.