News 07:00

BULLETIN 2 September 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA is concerned about the severe budget cuts in education
# At least 41 are injured in Russian air strikes in Ukraine
# And motorsport: Leclerc wins the Italian Grand Prix

# The DA urges the government to find alternative areas for budget cuts and ensure that essential public service roles, including those of teachers, are fully protected. Severe budget cuts imposed on education departments will see the Western Cape cut over two-thousand posts next year. At the same time, KwaZulu-Natal cannot afford over eleven-thousand educator posts. The DA’s, Delmaine Christians, says this crisis is the direct result of the national Treasury’s failure to fully fund the 2023 wage agreement, leaving provinces to absorb significant budget shortfalls:

Meanwhile, Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier emphasised that no teachers are being fired or retrenched in 2025. However, he announced that some schools will face reductions in teaching posts. The decision affects contract teachers whose contracts end in December and may require some permanent teachers to relocate. Maynier reiterated that the cuts result from budget shortfalls due to insufficient funding:

# The EFF says the sixth administration legacy report of the portfolio committee of Public Enterprises captures the lack of accountability, impunity, and lack of self-introspection perfectly. The report credited the decline of state-owned entities over the past five years to factors such as environmental challenges, the Covid-19 pandemic, and protests. The EFF says it is undeniable that a major cause for the deterioration of SOEs that were in the Department of Public Enterprises, is the political meddling by former minister Pravin Gordhan in the technical operation of entities.

# At least 41 people including three children were injured in Russian air strikes in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. This attack comes after Kyiv launched a wave of overnight drone attacks against targets in Moscow, where fire broke out at two energy facilities over the weekend. According to Russia’s defence ministry, more than 158 Ukrainian drones targeted 15 regions of the country, including the capital. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his calls for Western allies to give his country everything it needs to defend itself.

# Motorsport: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix for the second time in his Formula One career. Leclerc used an alternative one-stop strategy to beat the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Carlos Sainz finished fourth for Ferrari ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished sixth. With Norris finishing third he has cut Verstappen’s championship lead by eight points to 62 with eight races to go. Leclerc says it was a surprise to win given McLaren’s pace:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-84-cents and the euro at 19-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-42-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-540-dollars-40-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-495-dollars-21-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-32-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Former Eskom chairperson and MTN CEO Sifiso Dabengwa has passed away after succumbing to cancer. His family says his tenure as CEO of MTN Group from 2011 to 2015 was marked by visionary leadership, integrity, and dedication that drove significant advancements in the industry. It adds that Dabengwa was also an advocate for education and a fervent believer in the power of technology to transform lives.

Stay tuned for more news………….