News 07:00

BULLETIN 13 November 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa will lead the South African AI delegation to Silicon Valley
# The NPA head says law enforcement agencies are strengthening cooperation to combat crime
# And rugby: Siya Kolisi is unfazed by France’s selection of Antoine Dupont at flyhalf

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead a high-level South African delegation to Silicon Valley in the US from 15 to 21 November to explore developments and investment opportunities in artificial intelligence. The delegation will meet with technology companies, investors and researchers, and visit Stanford University. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the visit aims to strengthen South Africa’s technological capabilities, attract investment, and position the country as a leading AI hub on the African continent:

# National Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Andy Mothibi, says those who perpetrate crime should know that they will be detected, investigated, and prosecuted effectively. He participated in the Access to Justice for All International Conference taking place at the Sun City Resort, North West. Mothibi says the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster will continue to take a stance that acts of criminality will not be tolerated. He adds that law enforcement agencies are strengthening cooperation and integrating their efforts to combat crime:

# The state has accused former acting national Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane of approving deviations for two software contracts worth approximately 54-million-rand without meeting the legal requirements. The first contract relates to the alleged irregular procurement of software RIPJAR, which was intended for use during the October 2015 #FeesMustFall protests. The second relates to the procurement of communication-encryption software Daedalus. The state alleged that the manner in which the procurement process was handled prevented SAPS from considering other service providers who could potentially have supplied the products at lower prices.

# The City of Johannesburg says nearly 50-thousand pensioners are benefiting from property rates discounts worth more than 31-million-rand. The relief is aimed at helping elderly homeowners with their living costs. Pensioners aged 60 years and older may qualify, depending on their income and property value, while those aged 70 years and above qualify for enhanced relief. Existing beneficiaries do not need to reapply, while eligible pensioners who have not yet applied are encouraged to contact the city. 

# The United Nations International Labour Organisation has called on international partners to increase their financial support for a jobs-led recovery plan in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The war and economic disruption have devastated livelihoods and eliminated jobs. In Gaza alone, 252-thousand jobs were lost between the third quarter of 2023 and 2025, and unemployment reached 85.1-percent. The ILO and Palestinian tripartite partners are finalising the Decent Work and Recovery Programme 2026-to-2029, which prioritises employment, enterprise recovery and labour market governance, with a focus on women, youth and persons with disabilities.

# Rugby: Springbok captain Siya Kolisi says they are unfazed by how France’s halfback combination, where captain Antoine Dupont will be joined by Maxime Lucu, will affect their Nations Championship clash in Paris tonight. South Africa return to the Stade de France, where they have beaten Les Bleus five consecutive times. Kolisi says no one wants injuries, but every team goes through them, and players end up covering other positions, so it’s normal in the sport:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-73-cents and the euro at 18-rand-51-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-16-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-884-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-908-dollars-85-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 97-dollars-52-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….