News 17:00

BULLETIN 11 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AfriForum is ready to challenge the BELA Bill once signed by president Ramaphosa
# The PSA slams the Education Department for cutting teaching jobs without consultation
# And, rugby: The Springbok Women face Spain in Cape Town next week

# AfriForum is one of several organisations planning to take steps against the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill if president Cyril Ramaphosa signs it into law on Friday. The organisation views the bill as a threat to Afrikaans-language schools and cultural communities, stripping school governing bodies of control over admissions and language policies. AfriForum’s Alana Bailey says their legal team is looking into the matter:

# The Public Servants Association has condemned the Department of Basic Education’s decision to cut thousands of teaching posts without consulting unions. The PSA warns these cuts, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, will worsen overcrowded classrooms and strain resources. The association’s Reuben Maleka urges Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube to reconsider the decision and engage in dialogue with unions to find sustainable solutions:  

Meanwhile, the department says it is implementing comprehensive measures to tackle gender-based violence and promote social cohesion in schools. These include comprehensive sexuality education, access to reproductive health services, and the girls’ and boys’ education movement to foster gender equality. The department’s Terence Khala says they are collaborating with various departments and agencies to implement policies and engage communities in combating gender-based violence:  

# Airports Company South Africa has declared 816-million-rand in dividends. These include 768-million-rand for preference shares and 48-million-rand for ordinary shares, marking a significant financial milestone. ACSA joins a select group of state-owned companies paying dividends. According to the company, a strategic focus on revenue diversification, operational efficiency, and infrastructure investment contributed to this success. This has positioned ACSA for continued growth and value creation in the 2023/24 financial year.

# Rugby: The Springbok Women take on Spain in a Test at the Cape Town Stadium next Thursday. This follows their spectacular display on the same field last weekend, when they defeated the Barbarians 59-17 in a curtain-raiser for the Rugby Championship Test between their male counterparts and the All Blacks. The women will use next week’s game as preparation for the second edition of the Women’s Fifteen, which starts at the end of the month. Kick-off in Cape Town is at 5pm.

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-91-cents and the euro at 19-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-41-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-77-dollars-28-cent. Gold sells at two-thousand-510-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….