News 15:00

BULLETIN 2 October 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa’s company liquidations fell by 15.3-percent in August
# About 400 French schools are closed as learner protests turn violent
# And rugby: The Stormers and Edinburgh kick off the weekend’s United Rugby Championship action in the Scottish capital

# Statistics South Africa says the number of liquidations fell by 15.3-percent in August, from 268 to 227. Company liquidations dropped by 32 cases, while close corporation liquidations fell by nine. Stats SA’s Onica Mushwana says liquidations were also down 13.7-percent in the three months to August, and by 6.4-percent in the first eight months of this year, compared with the same periods last year:

# The ANC says the DA and ActionSA blocked the City of Johannesburg’s funding plan for its capital programme. It says the plan would help fund infrastructure projects in electricity, water, roads and transport, as part of an estimated 25-billion-rand programme. The ANC’s Mantombi Nkosi says the DA and ActionSA cannot complain about power cuts, water interruptions and potholes while voting against the money to fix them, while offering no alternative:

Moving abroad:

# About 400 schools and other educational institutions in France are expected to remain closed today as learner protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings turned violent in some areas. The demonstrations began in the Paris region last month before spreading nationwide. Dozens of people have been injured and police have made hundreds of arrests. Protesters started fires at two high schools yesterday, while teachers were accidentally splashed with petrol at another in Marseille. A car was also torched in Strasbourg, while riot police clashed with youths in Toulouse.

# Rugby: The Stormers and Edinburgh kick off the weekend’s United Rugby Championship action in the Scottish capital tonight. Tomorrow, the Lions face Ospreys in Johannesburg, the Sharks take on Leinster in Durban, and the Bulls are away to Munster in Ireland. All four South African franchises started the season on a positive note by winning their opening matches. The Bulls currently top the log, followed by the Sharks and the Stormers, with the Lions in seventh place.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-71-cents and the euro at 18-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-453-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-184-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 103-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga has hailed universities’ role in shaping future leaders and promoting public service. He was speaking at the University of Fort Hare’s spring graduation ceremony in Alice in the Eastern Cape, where he was honoured with an honorary Doctorate of Laws. Madlanga described the recognition as a privilege accepted with deep humility, and encourages graduates to continue contributing to society and serving the public good:

Stay tuned for more news………….