News 17:00

BULLETIN 26 October 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul Mashatile says government is working to resolve the water crisis
# The Western Cape government is urged to account for the impact of anti-gang deployments
# And: Uganda imposes a 21-day quarantine amid Ebola fears

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says national, provincial and local government are working together to resolve the water crisis. Speaking in Bronkhorstspruit, in Tshwane, Mashatile said the priority is ensuring residents receive clean water. He said the water task team was established to address challenges, including water losses caused by ageing municipal infrastructure. Mashatile expressed confidence that ongoing interventions would help resolve the crisis, while improving water delivery across the country:

# The DA in the Western Cape calls for an urgent review of anti-gang operations as gang violence continues despite the deployment of the South African National Defence Force. This follows a shooting in Steenberg that left five people dead and three others wounded over the weekend. The party’s Benedicta van Minnen says more than 500 people have reportedly been shot dead across Cape Town between August and October:

# The DA says repeated air-conditioning failures at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Tshwane have forced delays to major orthopaedic surgeries for a second time in less than a year. The party’s Madeleine Hicklin says patients needing hip and fracture operations have been left waiting because operating theatres are too warm. Hicklin claims one patient’s health deteriorated after repeated delays, while another family reported that their mother died of sepsis after a five-week wait for hip replacement surgery:

# Uganda is imposing a 21-day quarantine on citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo as it strengthens precautions against Ebola. Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi on Sunday said returnees would pay their own quarantine costs. Uganda declared its latest outbreak over in July, but concerns have grown after Ebola cases were detected in Kenya and Nigeria in people who had travelled through Uganda. Authorities are investigating possible links, but the source of the Nigerian infection remains uncertain. Screening has been intensified at airports and land border.

# Rugby: Fiji’s new coach, Jake White, believes his charges could be a massive force in next year’s World Cup in Australia if he can add control and structure to their natural flair. They beat Japan, coached by Eddie Jones, 34-28 in his first match in the role on Saturday. Jones was his technical adviser when he coached the Springboks’ World Cup winners of 2007. Both countries now head to Europe for the Nations Championship, with Fiji playing France, Ireland and Italy, and Japan facing Wales, England and Scotland.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-63-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-263-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-19-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 115-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….