News 07:00

BULLETIN 12 October 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Gwarube says nearly one million candidates are registered for the matric exams
# Minister Ntshavheni says Jacob Zuma’s health status must be respected
# And, at least 12 people are killed in missile strikes on the Riyadh Airport

# Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube says a record 962-thousand-832 candidates are registered to sit the October/November 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations. Of these, 815-thousand-and-51 are full-time candidates, an increase of 48-thousand-508 from last year, while 147-thousand-781 are part-time candidates, including those seeking to improve their previous results. Gwarube says the Class of 2026 is the largest full-time cohort to sit the NSC examinations to date:

Minister Gwarube also says her department has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to examination irregularities and reinforced candidate and parent pledge agreements to promote integrity. The 2026 National Senior Certificate written examinations officially commence tomorrow and end on November 26. A 24-hour examination hotline is active for members of the public to report suspicious activity. Gwarube says contingency plans are also in place to respond to operational challenges, including severe weather and community disruptions:

# Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says everyone should not speculate about or discuss former president Jacob Zuma’s health. The MK Party leader has been receiving treatment at the Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Ntshavheni says Zuma is under the medical care of the Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force, as dictated by official protocols for former heads of state:

# ActionSA has criticised the lack of completed affordable housing projects in Cape Town’s CBD, after Western Cape premier Alan Winde admitted that no such project has been completed there since 2017. The party says Winde acknowledged that several affordable and social housing projects are in the pipeline, but none has been completed in the area in nearly a decade. ActionSA says years of planning and promises are not enough, arguing that affordable housing must be delivered.

# At least 12 people were killed and 309 wounded when Yemen’s Houthi militants struck the King Khalid Airport in Riyadh with missiles over the weekend. They struck a terminal building, killing four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, an American, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, a Palestinian, and a Sudanese. The Houthis also attacked oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia. The group says they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen’s civil war, as well as an air strike on the airport in Sanaa.

# Motorsport: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time in his Formula One career. The Dutchman held off an early challenge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to clinch his 73rd career win on his 250th Grand Prix start. Leclerc finished second, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in third. The McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Antonelli has extended his lead over his teammate George Russell to 102 points in the Drivers’ Championship. Russell finished ninth after starting from 19th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-48-cents and the euro at 18-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-485-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-211-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-40-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….