The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has introduced an innovative system aimed at preventing corruption at its offices.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SA Agricultural, Plantation and Allied Workers Union (Saapawu) have expressed concern about the “marginalisation and gross violation” of the rights of farm workers, labour tenants and other similar farm dwellers.

One of the hot issues up for discussion at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, starting next month in Johannesburg, is that of biodiversity, or the number of different species on earth. A report on the biodiversity of SA, released by The Green Trust and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, points to the urgency of the issue for SA.

A police disciplinary hearing on Tuesday recommended that the commander of the Cape Peninsula dog unit be fired over an alleged racist slur.

South Africa is awash with funding for HIV/Aids prevention and care. However, lack of management capacity, national strategies in their infancy and "shaky" co-operation between Pretoria and the provinces have the potential to result in major under-spending in fighting the epidemic. These points are made in an article in the latest issue of the South African Medical Journal.

Read our primer on the bill that plans to promote universal access to electronic communications and encourage the use of e-government services. Critics say the bill will put the .za domain under government control and will not improve service.

The "fraud-ridden" home affairs department is to undertake an assessment of its business risks and revamp its fraud-prevention plan.

The New York-based Carnegie Foundation will help the universities of Pretoria and the Western Cape offer post-graduate LL.M and M.Com courses on trade and investment over the next three years. The two universities have received about R10-million to present joint courses on trade and investment in Africa.

The Eastern Cape Community Chest has welcomed some new donors this month: Pharmacare Manufacturing staff and a number of new manufacturing staff members at Daimler Chrysler.

American school children's pocket money has seen the beginning of a new future for a crèche in Morgan's Bay. Siyazama Crèche received a cheque for R22 700 from two United States elementary schools and celebrated with a party, said Siyazama administrative committee member Sue Warren-Smith.

Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is not trying to "block" a R720-million grant from the United Nations Global Fund for Aids, intended for the prevention and treatment of the disease in KwaZulu-Natal, her ministry said this week.

Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's blocking of a R720-million grant to fight Aids in KwaZulu-Natal is causing major ructions between the government, on one hand, and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), the province and international donor agencies, on the other.

A new project has seen some of South Africa's finest handiwork appearing in some of the UK's most well-heeled stores. The accessories involved have been created by a novel partnership between 700 South African craft workers and six of London's best designers.

Cape Town's Freeplay Foundation has developed an easy to assemble, solar-powered radio that will be used to change the lives of orphans in war-torn and Aids- ravaged countries.

An increase in adolescent suicides that is suspected to be related to difficulties in paying school fees; pupils afflicted by skin rashes because their school has no sanitation facilities; schools situated far from the communities they serve, imposing long walks on pupils; zero attendance on some wintry days because of the lack of shelter at schools: These are some of the wide-ranging problems in many South African schools that still seriously impede the right to basic education.

The Southern Africa Institute of Fundraising is holding a three-day Resource Mobilisation and Fund Development Course in Port Elizabeth from 26-28 August.

Former African National Congress Chief Whip Tony Yengeni and businessman Michael Woerfel are to stand trial on charges of corruption and fraud after the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Monday dismissed their objections to the charge sheet.

The correctional services department plans to strengthen its internal anti-corruption unit using forensic investigators from the elite Scorpions unit.

Each of the some 60,000 people expected to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development taking place in South Africa later this summer will generate greenhouse gas emissions.South African officials will compensate for these emissions, and conference participants can help.

The first supercomputer in Africa devoted specifically to research was officially switched on at the University of the Western Cape on Monday by Education Minister Kader Asmal.