The big news on the science and technology front is NASA's Curiosity rover, in a scientific and technological tour de force, has landed successfully on Mars after a journey of about 800 million kilometres. It's also started sending pictures back - and we publish one of the first of them.

So it's all going to be OK then? The Presidency has assured everyone that education remains a top priority for government. Apparently "The president will not rest until he gets to the bottom of the crisis and finds lasting solutions, working with his cabinet who feel equally strongly about the need to ensure that this does not recur." He's in Jamaica at the moment, by the way...

This should cheer up Cosatu... A youth study has vindicated SA's labour brokers and researchers also found that, shock and horror..."no evidence that people employed by labour brokers earned wages significantly lower than was typical or were employed in sectors of the economy considered less desirable." Still on the HR front, local government has warned that unqualified staff cannot be fired. Brilliant... you can be unqualified, unskilled, incompetent, but you're safe. No wonder service delivery is what it is. But on a much brighter note, Bizcommunity.com has revamped the recruitment business.

Finally, SANParks has upped their game in the battle to save our rhinos. The first group of 150 new game rangers promised to the Kruger National Park (KNP) to boost efforts against rhino poaching has been deployed.

Rod Baker, content director

Submit your company news to manufacturingnews@bizcommunity.com. Exclusive contributions may be sent to contributors-manufacturing@bizcommunity.com.