News 14:00

BULLETIN 19 September 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An economist predicts headline inflation could fall below 4.0-percent this month
# Dehorning reduces poaching by 80-percent in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
# And rugby: Erasmus expects some flair and physicality from Lukhanyo Am at inside centre

# FNB senior economist, Koketso Mano, says headline inflation could fall below 4.0-percent in September, as weak domestic demand keeps core inflation contained and falling fuel prices support lower transport costs. Statistics South Africa published the August inflation data on Wednesday, showing inflation fell to 4.4-percent in August from 4.6-percent in July, the lowest since 2021. Mano says weak global activity, alongside supply pressures, has supported softer oil prices and this has boded well for petroleum prices:

Meanwhile, the union for general industries workers, Giwusa, has welcomed the decline in the annual Consumer Price Inflation for August. Giwusa’s spokesperson, Koketso Phasha, says this is the country lowest inflation rate in three years. He says the South African Reserve Bank must now cut interest rates urgently and dramatically, since there is no inflation excuse anymore:

# Dehorning rhinos in KwaZulu-Natal’s Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park has led to an 80-percent drop in poaching since April 2024. The operation, a collaboration between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and WWF, has spared over 120 rhinos and rescued eight orphaned calves. Despite this success, criminal syndicates continue targeting weak spots. Enhanced security measures, including cameras and tracking dogs, are being deployed to maintain progress and protect the rhino population.

# Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty to committing a criminal sexual act, nearly five months after his sex crimes conviction in New York was overturned. The 72-year-old Weinstein, who is recovering from emergency heart surgery, appeared in court in a wheelchair. Jurors had found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault in February 2020. But New York’s Court of Appeals, threw out Weinstein’s conviction and 23-year sentence in April, saying he did not get a fair trial.

# Rugby: The penultimate round of the Rugby Championship will see Australia hosting New Zealand in Sydney on Saturday, while South Africa are visiting Argentina in Santiago. The Springboks made ten changes to their starting-15, with Lukhanyo Am at inside centre, instead of his usual position of outside centre. Coach Rassie Erasmus hopes Am can add some flair and physicality:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-42-cents and the euro at 19-rand-46-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-12-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-466-dollars-65-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-589-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-29-cents a barrel

Stay tuned for more news………….