News 06:00

BULLETIN 17 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa is booked off sick from public engagements
# The DA adds 500-thousand-rand to the Ekurhuleni reward money
# And rugby: The Springbok Women’s team is reshuffled for the clash against Wales

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has been booked off from public engagements due to ill health. The Presidency says that after Ramaphosa’s return from the BRICS Summit in India on Monday, his medical team advised him to rest and recover. It says that, where possible, the president has asked the respective ministers to represent him at scheduled public engagements. Meanwhile, deputy president Paul Mashatile, who underwent a minor medical procedure, has reported that his recovery is progressing well. However, it is still unclear when he will resume his duties.

# The DA has offered an additional 500-thousand-rand cash reward for information that could assist the investigation into the deaths of eight women in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni. Police have already offered a cash reward of 400-thousand-rand. Two of the eight bodies linked to the recent investigations have been identified, while the identities of the six remaining victims remain unknown. DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane says anyone with information must come forward to help the police investigation and to secure a criminal prosecution:

Meanwhile, Build One South Africa is again calling for the sex offenders register to be made publicly accessible, with appropriate legal safeguards. BOSA argues communities have a legitimate public-safety interest in knowing whether people convicted of sexual offences are living or working among them, especially in places involving children and other vulnerable people. The party’s deputy leader, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, says the deaths of Ekurhuleni women must not become another statistic:

# AfriForum says regulations allowing certain driving licences to be valid for ten years must be implemented without delay. The civil rights organisation supports the proposed changes but wants the extended validity to apply to all licence categories, including heavy vehicle licences, which would otherwise remain valid for five years. AfriForum’s Louis Boshoff says the longer validity period should be implemented while other driving licence challenges, including card backlogs, are addressed:

# At least 21 people have been killed, including eleven children, after a residential building damaged by Israeli strikes collapsed in Gaza City. Dozens more are feared trapped under layers of rubble. The bombed-out multi-storey building housed about 100 displaced Palestinian families. Around 1.9-million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced during the war. The United Nations Development Programme has warned that approximately 400 other war-damaged buildings across Gaza are at imminent risk of collapse, particularly as winter approaches.

# Rugby: The Springbok Women, for the match against Wales in their opening W-15 Global Series match at Cardiff Arms Park tomorrow evening, will see a rejigged backline and one change to the forwards. Logan Welman will start at number 8, swopping places with Aseza Hele, who will play off the bench. Amongst the backs, Felicia Jacobs earns a starting position at scrumhalf, paired with vice-captain Libbie Janse van Rensburg at flyhalf. Maceala Samboya comes off the bench as outside centre, and Maria Tshiremba at wing. Kick-off is at 8.15 pm.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-36-cents and the euro at 18-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-92-cents and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-688-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-273-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….