News 18:00

BULLETIN 18 September 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The United Nations urges intensified action to tackle South Africa’s GBV crisis
# The PSC chairperson says the new Public Service Commission Act marks a 19-year milestone
# And, a British woman is rescued after being kidnapped in Malawi

# The United Nations in South Africa says it’s deeply alarmed by the recent killings of several women in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The UN has called for a prompt and thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable. It’s also calling for stronger measures to prevent violence, protect women and improve access to justice. According to the UN, the killings show the ongoing threat of gender-based violence and femicide facing women and girls.

# Public Service Commission chairperson professor Somadoda Fikeni says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the new Public Service Commission Act marks a milestone nearly 19 years in the making. Fikeni told the Madlanga Commission that the legislation strengthens the commission’s independence by addressing its dependence on the Department of Public Service and Administration. He says it gives greater effect to the commission’s constitutional mandate and makes its findings more binding:

# A British woman kidnapped in Malawi has been rescued and reunited with her family after a police operation near Blantyre. Forty-seven-year-old Nusrat Osman was abducted by four men while driving in the southern city last week. Police say four suspected kidnappers were killed in a shootout during the rescue operation, while a senior police officer was wounded and in stable condition. Osman was taken to hospital for treatment and assessment after being freed. Police say the motive for the abduction remains unclear and the investigation is continuing.

# Cricket: Ben Sawyer has left his role as New Zealand women’s head coach after four years following a comprehensive review process of the women’s high-performance structure. His contract was supposed to run till December. Sawyer’s biggest achievement was leading the White Ferns to their maiden T20 World Cup title in Dubai in 2024. Team manager Rachel Pettit will also depart. Sawyer says his time with the team was memorable, adding he is proud of what they had achieved.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-30-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-139-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-351-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-72-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services says firefighters are battling a fire on the mountain slopes above Simondium. The fire, above Plasire Wine Estate, is being driven by strong winds and heavy vegetation. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says the municipality’s teams and CapeNature team are fighting the fire, but difficult terrain is preventing vehicles from reaching the fire lines:

Stay tuned for more news………….