September 21, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

More than R300-million is recovered from fraudulent tenders in KwaZulu-Natal.

Nearly 4 700 migrants are rescued off the Libya coast. 

And, a report reveals that South Africa remains unequal, but people are living longer.

 

KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu said most of the half a billion rand that was stolen by government officials in his province during the 2014/15 financial year was recovered from fraudulent tenders. 

Last week, Mchunu said over R536-million was recovered by the Special Investigating Unit during the period.

Part of the amount was recovered from fraudulent government tenders and some from fraudulent tenders and bribes of South African Police Service (SAPS) officials.  

Mchunu revealed that a large amount of the 2014 recoveries came from the land affairs and rural development department.

He said investigations were still ongoing in other departments.

 

Italy's coastguard said nearly 4 700 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya as they tried to reach Europe. Sadly, one woman was found dead.  

Tens of thousands of people, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, have tried to cross the Mediterranean this year.

They are often dangerously packed into small vessels unsuitable for the voyage.

The coastguard said it had coordinated 20 rescue operations involving numerous vessels which picked up more than 4 300 migrants from rubber boats and barges.

Europe is struggling to cope with a record influx of refugees as people flee war in countries such as Syria.

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean has become the world's most deadly crossing point for migrants.

 

The Development Indicators 2014 report indicates that poverty has declined since 1994, but South Africa remains highly unequal. This inequality is still largely defined along racial lines, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said at this weekend’s release of the report.

He said that eradicating poverty and reducing inequality had been the central focus of government policy since 1994.

He added that the percentage of households in low living standards decreased from 40% to 11% over the period 2000 to 2013.

“Despite rising average income levels and the rise in the black middle class, levels of inequality have remained high, with the richest 10% of households capturing over half of the national income,” he noted.

 

Also making headlines:

South Africa’s high unemployment levels are compounded by a lack of post-school education opportunities.

Burkina Faso coup supporters have attacked a hotel that was hosting the mediation talks.

The US told Tanzania that it must do more to fight corruption if it wanted to receive a $472-million financial aid package next year.

And, a blame game had erupted over much-needed maintenance of Cape Town’s national roads, after a court interdict stalled the South African National Roads Agency from creating a new tolling system to fund its upgrade and maintenance programme.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.