News 18:00

BULLETIN 9 October 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SASSA responds to reports of grants paid to people who did not qualify
# The Western Cape government seeks stronger, more accountable municipalities through new guidelines
# And, motorsport: George Russell is fastest in practice for a smoggy Singapore Grand Prix

# The South African Social Security Agency says it’s strengthening checks to prevent fraud and ensure social grants go to people who qualify. This follows media reports that payments were made to beneficiaries who were allegedly not eligible for grants during the 2025/2026 financial year. The agency’s Andile Tshona says reviews and the life certification process are not intended to exclude legitimate beneficiaries, but to confirm that recipients are still eligible and alive:

# The City of Tshwane’s Human Settlements Department has issued an urgent warning to residents of Mamelodi extension 6 and surrounding areas regarding a fraudulent housing investigation scam. Con artists are posing as official representatives from the city and circulating a fraudulent document titled the Housing Beneficiary Investigation Questionnaire. Department spokesperson Doreen Mokgolo confirmed the municipality is not conducting any such survey or investigation:

# The Western Cape Government says new guidelines have been introduced to help municipalities maintain services during political instability in coalition governments. The guidelines were developed with the Dullah Omar Institute, the Hanns Seidel Foundation and local government experts. The guidelines aim to strengthen municipal administrations, improve governance and ensure that officials continue serving communities, regardless of political changes. Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell says changes in political leadership must not disrupt essential services for residents.

# Motorsport : Mercedes driver George Russell topped the timesheets in the only practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, clocking one minute 32.274 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third, on a dusty circuit shrouded in smoke from fires in Indonesia. The sprint format leaves teams with just one practice session before qualifying. Russell faces a major setback, however, as a power-unit penalty means he is set to start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the back of the grid.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-51-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-155-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-185-dollars-79-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-15-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the Canadian singer Celine Dion recovered quickly after falling on stage during her comeback concert in Paris. The 58-year-old was performing at the Plenitude Arena on Wednesday when she appeared to catch her heel in the hem of her trousers and fell. She got back to her feet, gave the audience a thumbs-up and continued singing. The concert is part of her first extended run of live performances in six years, following her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and spasms.

Stay tuned for more news………….