News 09:00

BULLETIN 22 September 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Transport ministry urges motorists to comply with travel advisories as severe weather conditions continue
# The DA in the Eastern Cape says ongoing financial mismanagement at Health Department is endangering lives
# And, rugby: Argentina halt the Springbok charge

# Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, and her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, are advising motorists traveling between the Free State, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to delay their trips. The department’s spokesperson, Collen Msibi, says heavy snowfall affected the N3 Toll Route yesterday, particularly between Warden and Tugela Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal, making travel extremely hazardous. He says Creecy and Hlengwa are receiving regular updates through the Road Traffic Management Corporation and South African National Roads Agency on the ongoing rescue efforts coordinated by state agencies and other stakeholders.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, is urging residents and road users to stay off the roads and avoid using alternative routes, as inclement weather conditions are expected to worsen. He says provincial disaster management teams are working with social partners to provide relief to affected communities. Buthelezi says the heavy snowfall has also caused fallen trees, further complicating the situation:

# The DA in the Eastern Cape says the provincial Department of Health’s ongoing financial mismanagement and maladministration is endangering lives, requiring swift and decisive action. The party’s Karl le Roux says two people have tragically lost their lives due to department’s failure to settle their bills with Telkom. He says without drastic and urgent improvements in the public health sector, the proposed National Health Insurance will remain a non-starter:

# Reports from Mali say hundreds of people are believed to have been killed in last week’s attack by an al-Qaeda linked group. Hospitals in the capital Bamako are said to have run out of beds to treat the wounded. Fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen carried out the attack on an elite military police training academy and tthe nearby airport on Tuesday. Diplomatic and security sources told reporters the official death toll stands at more than 70.    

# And, rugby: The Springboks lost last night’s Rugby Championship battle with Argentina by a solitary point as Los Pumas claimed a 29-28 victory in Santiago. A 68th-minute penalty from flyhalf Tomos Albornoz gave Argentina the win with Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok missing a kick ten minutes later that would have won the game. This year’s tournament champions will now be decided in Mbombela on Saturday. Argentina have also claimed a historic Rugby Championship Triple Crown by beating Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the same year for the first time.

Stay tuned for more news………….