In the context of widespread criticism of the WTO , South Africa chose to project itself internationally as the "bridge between the developed and the developing world". But within South Africa, government spokespersons have been proudly proclaiming South Africa's "leadership role" in the WTO "in the best interests of the developing world". As the evidence in this analysis shows, it is highly debateable whether this self proclaimed "leading role" is a reality among developing countries.

A third of all women canvassed at three ante-natal clinics in a study in Soweto, South Africa, admitted to having had “transactional sex” in return for food, clothing, transportation, school fees, cash or gifts for their children – and were HIV positive.

Three workers were knocked down by a car when they were leaving a march, even though they were walking on the pavement. Other workers were around and said that an unidentified white man drove directly at them. One worker has been killed and the other two are in hospital. The driver tried to speed off but the other workers caught his number plate.

This 2-day course will enable participants to create a basic website, maintain their organisations' websites - add content to existing pages, add new pages, adapt a site's design, and develop the content and structure of a website.

As a public policy researcher or analyst, are you able to describe a problem meaningfully, eliminate irrelevant material, say it with numbers, and focus on the central, critical factors? This course is meant to assist you in defining policy problems in a way that eliminates ambiguity.

The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) is looking for a Systems Administrator.

Talent Consortium is looking for helpers to staff exhibition stands at the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Volunteers from the Umsobomvu Youth Fund changed the dull face of the historic St Matthew's High School last week by giving it a fresh coat of paint as a symbol of hope. The fund is working with the Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches on the St Matthew's R40000 project -- its biggest project in the country.

Just down the road from the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, home to the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002 venue, a human and environmental tragedy is being played out that has nothing to do with sustainability and everything to do with big business’ push for profits at any cost. Though just a few miles from Sandton, Alexandra is not a wealthy suburb. It could fairly be called a shanty-town; a settlement of largely self-built homes of poor black Africans, hardly changed since the apartheid era, where unemployment and AIDS are rife. Some of the homes have mains water, but since the city’s water services were sold off to French-based multinational Suez (formerly Suez Lyonnaise) the bills have tripled and many people can no longer afford to keep the water flowing.

Maverick US attorney Ed Fagan and a team of South African lawyers have lodged a new class action that categorises women and children as specific complainants in a multibillion-rand lawsuit against companies thought to have benefited during the apartheid era.

Armed with machetes and escorted by comrades toting assault rifles, the group thrusts into the bush singing and shouting. It could be mistaken for a lynch mob, but the quarry is actually an invasive plant: the innocuous-looking prickly pear, which resembles a green cactus.

A prominent South African politician went on trial on Tuesday charged with fraud and corruption linked to a multi-billion-dollar arms deal. Tony Yengeni, 47, former chief whip of the ruling African National Congress and Michael Worfel, a German who is former head of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co (EADS) in South Africa, appeared in a Pretoria court.

The chief director of the Department of Public Enterprises, Andile Nkuhle, has been suspended amid allegations he had received money from a company which won the bid for a R335million state forestry deal, the department said.

A North West primary school was given a construction site to rebuild its school on Wednesday, at a soil turning ceremony in Letlhabile township near Brits. Uthingo yielded to the call by former President Nelson Mandela to construct a school for the Osaletseng Primary School to the tune of R2.5 million.

A new pro-active approach to funding poverty relief and community development projects will be unveiled by the National Development Agency (NDA) at a roadshow in Umtata. The roadshow aims to brief local government, NGOs and community organisations on the NDA's new approach that seeks to pro-actively fund community projects instead of waiting for applications.

The national property watchdog, the Estate Agency Affairs Board, has come out strongly against racism in the industry, following complaints from estate agents. CEO Stanley Moshidi said the industry's code of conduct was being flouted, and incidents of racist behaviour within the workplace were becoming more prevalent.

Another political skirmish between coalition partners governing KwaZuluNatal has emerged, this time with the African National Congress (ANC) accusing the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) of "continued" abuse of government facilities. The ANC alleged that the IFP had "for too long" treated the use of government structures and buildings in the province "as its own personal property".

In years to come, we will reflect on this moment in 2002, and the deeper, more subtle ripples that will have been created by the Treatment Action Campaign's (TAC) Constitutional Court case, particularly in terms of the greater realisation of socio-economic and human rights. Why is it that civil society needs to use such extreme mechanisms to ensure that their message is heard? Surely we have sought to elect responsive and listening decision-makers who hear the voices of civil society and ensure that the concerns of the poor are at the heart of government policy? What has happened to the more traditional places for civil society to raise their concerns?

Education Minister Kader Asmal on Monday called on Transport Minister Dullah Omar to request train operators to consider restricting the use of some train carriages for women only. Asmal asserted that this would help reduce violence against girls on trains and reduce the overall levels of gender-based violence in society.

Previous international AIDS gatherings have tended to be "scientific showcases", but community-based organisations and children's NGOs are hoping for a higher profile at the 14th International Conference on AIDS to be held in Barcelona, Spain next week. "In the past, we felt that the community arm of the programme in international conferences had been tacked on as an afterthought, but this year looks to be different," Debbie Matthews, programme manager for the AIDS Foundation of South Africa, told PlusNews on Monday.