News 11:00

BULLETIN 30 September 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the approach to world peace is unjust, unfair and unsustainable
# There are alleged inconsistencies in the Justice minister’s loan agreement
# And Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says at a time when the threats to international peace and security are many and complex, the world’s security can no longer be placed in the hands of a few major powers. He attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa says the current approach to world peace is unjust, unfair, and unsustainable, and the UN Security Council must be more representative. He says there should be a reinforced focus on mediation and the political settlement of disputes.

# The loan agreement that Justice minister Thembi Simelane is relying on to validate the money she received from VBS-corruption accused Ralliom Razwinane appears to have been backdated. According to a report by Daily Maverick and News24, the loan agreement was signed on the 30th of September 2016, but there are two consecutive paragraphs written in the future and past tenses, which appear to contradict the date the document was signed. Simelane has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in obtaining the 575-thousand-600-rand loan while she was mayor of Polokwane in Limpopo.

# The Gauteng Department of Health says it is committed to ongoing reforms to strengthen governance, procurement processes, and service delivery in its journey towards a clean audit outcome. The Auditor-General found that the department had 2.7-billion-rand in irregular expenditure and 17-million-rand in fruitless and wasteful expenditure for the 2023/’24 financial year. The department’s spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, says reforms continue to be implemented in the current financial year, to address audit findings and improve operational efficiency:

# Soccer: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag say he is confident he will be given time by the club, as the pressure ramps up on his position. United suffered a three-nil defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford yesterday, with captain Bruno Fernandes receiving a red card just before halftime. United now has seven points after six Premier League games. Ten Hag, who is in his third season, says he is not concerned about his job:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-6-cents and the euro at 19-rand-5-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-384-dollars-23-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-657-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-49-cents a barrel.

# And on a sad note, award-winning country music legend, songwriter, and actor, Kris Kristofferson, passed away at his home in Hawaii at the age of 88. He wrote hits such as Me and Bobby McGee and Help Me Make It Through the Night, for which he won three Grammy awards. Kristofferson was also known for his acting, starring in A Star Is Born opposite Barbra Streisand, in which he won a Golden Globe, and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. In 2004, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned for more news………….