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BULLETIN 26 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says government is addressing the country’s water challenges
# COSATU hails SACCAWU’s victory as Pick n Pay withdraws its retrenchment process
# And tennis: Medvedev boosts his ATP Finals qualification hopes as Musetti wins his first title since 2022

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is addressing the water challenges across the country, which is why he established the National Water Crisis Committee. He was speaking during the ANC’s door-to-door campaign in Soweto yesterday. The committee is working to ensure a coordinated approach to the institutional and financial reforms necessary to achieve water security. Ramaphosa says the immediate challenge is not mainly a shortage of rain or a lack of dams, but that municipal water systems are not being properly managed, maintained and financed:

# Union federation COSATU has applauded its affiliate, the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union, for its victory with Pick n Pay. This follows the retailer’s decision to withdraw its Section 189A restructuring and retrenchment consultation process after reaching a collective agreement with SACCAWU. At least 22-thousand workers would have been affected. COSATU’s spokesperson Zanele Sabela says this victory serves as a reminder to employers that decisions affecting workers’ livelihoods cannot simply be imposed without meaningful engagement and accountability:

# Eastern Cape Police have launched an investigation following the fatal shooting of Mbhashe Local Municipality councillor, Ernest Fiphaza, in Dutywa. The 63-year-old, who is a candidate for the South African Communist Party, was gunned down at his home. Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana says two unknown suspects arrived at the victim’s home and argued with him. She says the argument escalated into a physical altercation, and it is alleged that one of the suspects drew a firearm and fatally shot the victim:

# Serbia’s long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat to a student-led protest movement in snap parliamentary elections, bringing his 12 years in power to an end. The Students’ List, with its lead candidate Ilija Srdanović, has spent two years protesting against Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party government, accusing it of corruption and dismantling democracy. Vucic, who was endorsed by Russian president Vladimir Putin, says his party projects that his opponents, the youth-backed Students’ List, will take between 135 and 140 seats while his SNS party will have around 105.

# Tennis: Top seed Daniil Medvedev won the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, his fourth trophy this year and 25th career ATP Tour title. The Russian beat Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, to successfully defend a tour-level title for the first time in his career. With this victory, Medvedev has further boosted his hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals. Meanwhile, in France, Lorenzo Musetti of Italy defeated second-seeded American Taylor Fritz, 6-3, 6-4, to win the Lyon Open, his first ATP title since 2022.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-59-cents and the euro at 18-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-20-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-945-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-12-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 114-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….