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The findings of research into the diamond mining industry published by the Bench Marks Foundation, has painted a gloomy picture of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance of the industry in the west coast region.

John Capel, CEO of the Bench Marks Foundation, a church-backed organisation monitoring corporate performance, says the findings contradict mining companies’ claims of success in CSR.

The chief executive officer of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Fezile Makiwane, has been placed on special leave pending investigation into alleged misuse of funds.

In a press statement, the Department of Social Development points out that the decision follow a probe by the Special Investigations Unit into alleged mismanagement of funds managed by SASSA service providers.

The departmental spokesperson, Zanele Mngadi, said Makiwane’s suspension was mutually agreed upon with Social Development Minister Edna Molewa.

Gender activist Mbuyiselo Botha - whom Julius Malema branded as a puppet of white racists - has slammed the ANC Youth League president's accusations as "pathetic".

Botha, Sonke's advocacy head, was responding to Malema's claims that the hate speech complaint against him - which centres on his comments that President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser enjoyed herself with him - was driven by "whites opposed to black rule".

The newly appointed South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) interim board is examining the costs of each of the beleaguered broadcaster's departments "line by line", chairperson Irene Charnley said on Tuesday.

"We need to stabilise the SABC at all levels. The situation is not normal. Financially the organisation is in dire straits."

The SABC reported a financial loss of R839-million for the 2008/09 financial year. The broadcaster had asked the government for a R2-billion bailout.

Water Affairs director-general Pam Yako has been put on 'special lea' pending the outcome of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities within the department.

"No charges have been levelled against Ms Yako or any official of the department and, until informed otherwise by the outcome of the investigation, the director-general remains innocent," Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Wednesday.

The government is still committed to halving unemployment and poverty by 2014, despite the global economic downturn. This is according to National Planning Commission Minister, Trevor Manuel.

Outlining the government's Medium Strategic Framework (MTSF) in Pretoria, Manuel said the MTSF’s main focus is to minimise the impact of the economic crisis on the country's productive capacity, jobs and poverty reduction measures.

South Africa is losing an average of 17 percent of its newly qualified doctors to foreign countries every year, a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question revealed.

According to the reply, since 2005, only 4 702 of the 5 689 trainee doctors that applied to do internships applied for community service posts. This means that approximately 1 000 doctors did not register to work in South Africa that year.

The high cost of drugs needed to treat AIDS patients is putting the lives of thousands at risk, the medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Monday.

“Patients needing new drug regimens will return to AIDS death row”, MSF warned in a statement released at the 2009 International AIDS Society conference in Cape Town.

The ANC has distanced itself from adverts on its website offering free porn and penis enlargements.

"The African National Congress (ANC) wishes to distance itself from a selection of embarrassing links placed on the organisation's website by someone who has hacked into the ANC site," said spokesman Brian Sokutu.

Adverts on the party's home page on www.anc.org.za were offered free porn, penis enlargement, prefabrik, cortix, tarot, reverse mortgage, security system report, jet charter, APC battery, autism, a dating service and website promotion.

South Africa will soon pass specific legislation to counter human trafficking.

The Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill was published for comment in May and is expected to be concluded by the end of this month.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development says South Africa lacks a proper system to deal with human trafficking.

To read the article titled, “Legislation for human trafficking,” click here.