The Democratic Alliance has sent a letter to Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel explaining why South Africa should also benefit from the $1,9-billion (about R21,8-billion) United Nations Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.

South Africa's fight against AIDS has be promised a lifeline after EU has approved of a R515-million in aid to be allocated to the Department of Health to strengthen primary health care and fight against AIDS.

The Donald Gordon Foundation has given R100-million to Wits University in what is believed to be the largest single donation given by a private individual in South Africa. The money will fund South Africa's first private medical centre to train specialist doctors.

IDT has allocated R20m for upgrading,renovation and replacement of classrooms in KZN.This project was launched in conjuction with provincial department of education and public works.The project will involve 55 schools in total in two designatted areas.

Anticorruption legislation, partly aimed at regulating post public service employment, clamping down on the abuse of state resources and the protection of whistle blowers will be passed by Parliament this year. Cabinet approved the Prevention of Corruption Bill last week as part of a broader plan to clamp down on corruption and mismanagement, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine FraserMoleketi has said.

The South African government is investigating the alleged mercenary activities of it's citizens in strife-torn Sudan. It has also banned a state-owned petroleum company from seeking oil concessions in the east African country, IRIN has learnt.

Progressive civil society organisations in South Africa, including the SA NGO Coalition (Sangoco), Amnesty International and the Centre for Study of Violence and Reconciliation, this week resolved, among others, to marshal resources within SA society to deal with the impending humanitarian and refugee crisis in Zimbabwe.

The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, the country's "leading body" for specialist physicians, today issued a statement saying it supports the use of nevirapine to prevent vertical HIV transmission and that failure to provide such treatment is "unethical," Agence France-Presse reports.

South African President Thabo Mbeki in his state of the nation address said that the government will increase its efforts to halt the spread of HIV, but added that the efforts will focus on prevention and not the use of antiretroviral drugs, the Associated Press reports.

Violence, gender inequality, and high rates of HIV transmission are three major problems at all levels of South African education. Gender inequalities play out in a variety of different types of violence: girls are raped by boys and boys are the main perpetrators of sexual assault but boys can also be the victims of assault by other boys. Yet, many interventions reflect the perception that boys are perpetrators and girls are the victims. How can the gap between rhetoric and practice in addressing boys' and girls' vulnerability be addressed?

One or more research awards will be made by the SOUTH AFRICAN GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND HEALTH INITIATIATIVE(SAGBVHI) at the First Gender Based Violence and Health Conference, South Africa, 17-19 April 2002. The award is intended to encourage research in specific areas of gender based violence and health. Applicants are invited from researchers based in South Africa.

The organisation renowned in South Africa for it's pioneering efforts for tax campaigning for the non-profit sector finally launches it's online newsletter. The free newsletter covers a wide variety of topics for non profit sector from news, events, resources to the latest developments in tax campaigns.

National Development Agency officials are flouting the agency's own funding procedures. This has emerged after 60% of it's total allocated funds went to KwaZulu-Natal between May 2000 and December last year,
the province which happens to the Executive Director's home province.

Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has denied suggestions at the World Economic Forum that South Africa seeks to apply for grants from the newly formed international Aids fund.

The Umsobomvu fund, established by government in 1998 to aid job creation and skills transfer to the youth, this week announced a R17-million joint venture with the National School of Accounting to offer bridging courses for post graduate students who want to be chartered accountants in SA.

Daily Labour News from SA is brought to you as a free service by the Congress of South African Trade Unions and SAMWU.

To develop, in close collaboration with partner organizations, a
comprehensive regional strategy and programme for HIV/AIDS prevention,
mitigation and access to care for migrants and mobile populations. Should
have excellent English writing and communications skills; fluency in French
or Portuguese.

The health department says drugs imported by Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) for AIDS treatment in South Africa can be used for normal research practice if they comply with the section 21 authorisation.

New research from Webchek indicates that 49 percent of South African Internet users are women.

Negotiations to put an end to the political infighting that is threatening to derail the Civil Society Indaba of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) have been put on hold until the warring factions return from a conference being held in New York. This week’s conference in New York is part of a process to get policies and practical preparations in place for the summit, scheduled to start in Johannesburg at the end of August 2002.