South Africans get another day to take it easy

Acting president Kgalema Motlanthe declared December 27 a public holiday, the presidency said on Wednesday.

“The 27th day of December 2011 is a public holiday throughout the republic in terms of section 2A of the Public Holidays Act,” spokesperson Thabo Masebe said in a statement on Wednesday.

Masebe said the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) wrote a letter to the presidency requesting an extra public holiday because Christmas fell on a Sunday this year and the Day of Goodwill on a Monday.

“Based on their recommendations, the president approved the public holiday.”

Fedusa sent the letter on November 18 and was told to expect a response after the COP17 climate change conference, which ended on Sunday. — Sapa