News 13:00

BULLETIN 24 October 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SASSA urges the public to report suspected social grant fraud 
# AfriForum says Tshwane water crisis deepens amid infrastructure failures
# And France deploy thousands of police officers ahead of fresh protests

#The South African Social Security Agency warns the public not to collude with officials to defraud the social grant system. The warning follows the dismissal of four officials in Gauteng after disciplinary proceedings involving an allegedly fraudulent grant application and the unauthorised alteration of a beneficiary’s payment details. The agency’s Lungelo Mkamba says dishonesty and fraudulent activities will not be tolerated:

# AfriForum urges the City of Tshwane to address infrastructure failures alongside water demand as the municipality faces ongoing supply disruptions. The organisation says recent incidents include a pipeline coupling failure at Garsfontein reservoir and sewage contamination affecting water supplied from Findlay reservoir, including municipal water losses of 44-percent. AfriForum’s Dalena Beyers says the city must account for water losses, infrastructure failures and repairs, and provide evidence of excessive consumer demand:

# Six people have been killed and six others seriously injured in a head-on collision between a Toyota Quantum minibus taxi and a Scania articulated truck on the R61 in the Eastern Cape. The crash happened about 30 kilometres from Aberdeen towards Beaufort West in the Western Cape today. Provincial Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose says the minibus taxi was carrying 16 occupants and was travelling from Beaufort West towards Aberdeen. He says six female passengers died at the scene:

Moving abroad:

# France is deploying 70-thousand police officers nationwide as authorities brace for fresh protests over the cost of living and poor school conditions. The security operation follows some of the worst urban violence in years last weekend, when looting, arson and clashes with police erupted. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez says officers will be supported by elite units, helicopters, drones and armoured vehicles. Authorities have restricted demonstrations in several cities amid fears of renewed violence, with businesses boarding up shopfronts ahead of today’s protests.

# Motorsport: Marc Marquez has won the Australian MotoGP sprint at Phillip Island, taking the lead in the world championship after title rival Jorge Martin crashed out. The Ducati rider and Martin traded the lead several times in an intense battle before Martin fell on lap eight while chasing victory. Marquez’s brother Alex finished second, with Fabio Di Giannantonio third. Martin was taken to the medical centre and has been ruled unfit for Sunday’s Grand Prix after suffering a fracture to his right wrist. Marquez now leads Martin by ten points.

# And finally, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is stepping up efforts to protect Durban’s Bayhead Mangrove heritage site through coordinated enforcement and environmental cleanup operations. Deputy minister Narend Singh says government agencies, Transnet, eThekwini Municipality and other partners will work together to remove plastic pollution and restore the mangrove habitat. The initiative follows recent operations targeting illegal gillnetting and poaching, which threaten marine life and the protected ecosystem.

Stay tuned for more news………….