News 15:00

BULLETIN 25 September 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mabalula says the Bela Bill will be implemented in the government of national unity
# South Africa’s steel industry faces a crisis amid low demand
# And soccer: UEFA is seeking a new host venue for the 2027 Champions League final

# ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act has been signed into law by president Cyril Ramaphosa, and will be implemented in the government of national unity. Mbalula delivered opening remarks at the Cosas 20th national conference in Bloemfontein, Free State. He says the BELA Act speaks exactly to what the Congress of South African Students came to represent over the years:

# South Africa’s steel and associated industries say they are in crisis due to declining demand and increased government preference for Chinese suppliers. Local manufacturers at the Metals and Engineering Industries ministerial conference expressed concern about major contracts awarded to Chinese entities. The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation highlighted challenges including slow economic growth and government indecision. Industry leaders urge collaboration between government and local businesses to create a sustainable, competitive future.

# Three weeks into the two-pot retirement system, people are reportedly rushing to withdraw funds without fully understanding the implications. Liberty Group says middle-aged, middle-income individuals are leading these withdrawals, with 52-percent of requests from men over 35. Speaking to EWN, the group’s Gurschulle Neethling warns taking money from retirement savings can lead to significant long-term losses, with some members receiving less than one-thousand-rand due to tax deductions:

# Soccer: UEFA has re-opened the bidding process to stage the 2027 Champions League final, after stripping Milan’s San Siro Stadium of the hosting rights. The Italian Soccer Federation failed to assure UEFA that planned redevelopment work at the stadium would not hamper the event. San Siro, which is the home ground of AC Milan and Inter Milan, last staged the Champions League final in 2016. Munich’s Allianz Arena will host the 2025 final on May 31st.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-20-cents and the euro at 19-rand-24-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-585-dollars-47-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-655-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-56-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Pan South African Language Board is partnering with Google to create speech-to-text data sets for marginalised official languages. This comes after some veteran broadcasters criticised the declining use of proper language, particularly in radio shows. PanSALB has urged the public to report any misuse of official languages. CEO Lance Schultz highlighted the importance of preserving indigenous languages, warning against their regression. Despite concerns, some broadcasters argue that using colloquial language on lifestyle shows boosts ratings.

Stay tuned for more news………….