News 17:00

BULLETIN 16 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The African Transformation Movement condemns 82-percent of companies for withholding pension funds
# Minister Nobuhle Nkabane addresses student financing challenges and solutions
# And rugby: A Wallabies flanker mistakes a broken hand for a ligament problem

# The African Transformation Movement has accused the ANC-led government of failing to address the widespread exploitation of workers’ pension funds. According to the party, 82-percent of South African companies did not remit pension contributions in 2023/2024, reflecting severe mismanagement and corporate greed. The ATM spokesperson Zama Ntshona criticised the government for its inaction and called for immediate measures to recover the lost funds and hold accountable those responsible: 

# The minister of Higher Education and Training, Nobuhle Nkabane, has confirmed that next year’s National Student Financial Aid Scheme online application process will officially start on Friday. This follows a delay in addressing system improvements and incorporates feedback from recent consultations with student groups and institutional leaders. In a media briefing, Nkabane encouraged learners in matric and those in grades nine to eleven to apply for financial aid: 

# The Pretoria High Court has sentenced Conwell Mongezi Chauke to life imprisonment for the murder of eleven-year-old Khothatso Welhelmina Tshabalala, and six years for kidnapping. Chauke stabbed the child 66 times. He was angered after the girl’s mother, his prayer partner, rejected his romantic advances. Chauke showed no remorse during sentencing. The NPA’s Lumka Mahanjana says the court emphasized the seriousness of the crime and Chauke’s threat to society:

# South Africa’s effort to attract skilled professionals with a new remote-working visa has been delayed due to tax regulation amendments. Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber cited tax-related adjustments as the reason for the delay, following an initial setback due to procedural issues. The plan, first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022, aims to ease work permit challenges, but a backlog of over 300-thousand applications remains. The rollout will proceed once tax matters are resolved.

# Rugby: Australia’s Fraser McReight has recovered from surgery after not realising he had played through their July internationals with a broken hand. The flanker says he thought it was a ligament problem, but is now ready for Saturday’s Rugby Championship game against New Zealand in Sydney. McReight had broken his hand in the first Test of the season, against Wales. The Wallabies lost both their home Tests to South Africa and was beaten 67-27 by Argentina in Santa Fe.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-65-cents and the euro at 19-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-31-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-588-dollars-15-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-585-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….