News 16:00

BULLETIN 30 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Action Society demands immediate action amid an alarming surge in violence
# The ATM urges government to increase the pension withdrawal cap amid financial struggles
# And, rugby: The rise of Ben-Jason Dixon in the Springbok team

# Action Society says the latest crime statistics reveal a disturbing surge in violence, with alarming rates of murders, rapes, and assaults. The organisation criticises the previous administration for delaying the release of these figures, viewing it as a political tactic. Action Society’s Juanita du Preez welcomes Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s commitment to combating corruption and enhancing crime intelligence, but insists on more decisive and effective measures to curb the escalating crisis:  

# The African Transformation Movement is calling for a review of the 30-thousand-rand limit on pension fund withdrawals. They argue the current limit under the new two-pot retirement system, set to start next month, is inadequate, leaving workers in deeper financial distress due to hidden taxes and fees.  ATM spokesperson Zama Ntshona urges Parliament to increase the withdrawal limit, allowing access to a larger portion of pension savings to better support workers regain control over their finances.

# The Automobile Association says fuel prices across the broad will decrease in September for the fourth consecutive month. The AA’s Eleanor Mavimbela says unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund is showing that the price of 95 unleaded petrol is set to drop by around 94-cent per litre, and 93 unleaded petrol by around 86-cent per litre. She says the wholesale price of diesel is expected to decrease by around 76-cents per litre, while the cost of illuminating paraffin will drop by almost 1-rand-1-cent per litre:

# Global air cargo demand saw a 13.6-percent year-on-year increase in July, with international demand up 14.3-percent, marking the eighth consecutive month of double-digit growth. According to the International Air Transport Association, capacity also grew, with global air cargo capacity rising by 8.3-percent, driven by an increase in belly-hold capacity on international routes. Asia-Pacific led in demand growth at 17.6-percent, while Africa recorded the second-highest capacity increase at 10.5-percent.

# Rugby: Springbok loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon is on the rise and is set to face the biggest challenge of his short international career. The 26-year-old will make his fourth appearance for South Africa tomorrow, when he starts their Rugby Championship game against New Zealand at Ellis Park. Dixon says it’s a dream come true to play for the Boks against the All Blacks:

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-63-cents and the euro at 19-rand-52-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-25-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-586-dollars-73-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-521-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-77-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….