News 14:00

BULLETIN 15 October 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The case against the driver in a fatal Carletonville learner transport crash is postponed to January
# Home Affairs disciplines 31 officials within three months
# And cricket: New Zealand becomes the second team to qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals

# The case against Gert Laurence van Emmenis, charged with 12 counts of culpable homicide and reckless driving, has been postponed to 20 January. The 55-year-old driver was involved in a crash on JB Marx Road in Fochville in July that killed 11 learners and their driver. He is out on 20-thousand-rand bail with strict conditions, including surrendering his passport and avoiding contact with witnesses.

# Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber says between July and September this year, the department has finalised 31 disciplinary cases against officials that have resulted in a range of sanctions, including criminal prosecution, dismissal, suspension without pay and final written warnings. These actions reflect the department’s intensified commitment to enforcing ethical governance and accelerating disciplinary and criminal sanctions against officials engaged in maladministration. Schreiber says the officials faced transgressions relating to irregular recruitment, and violations of the Citizenship Act as well as the Immigration Act.

# Johannesburg Water says it is observing a marked rise in water demand that is affecting numerous reservoirs. The water demand in various water systems is exceeding the available capacity, forcing the water utility to implement vital water demand management interventions. Johannesburg Water’s spokesperson, Nolwazi Dhlamini, says residents in various suburbs, particularly those in high-lying areas, may experience low water pressure to no water at times:

# Cricket: New Zealand became the second team to qualify for the semifinals of the women’s T20 World Cup when they beat Pakistan by 54 runs in their Group A match in Dubai. Defending champion Australia qualified earlier. In Group B, England today plays the Windies, with both teams and South Africa still on course for the play-offs. If England wins, they and the Proteas will go through, but victory for the islanders could knock South Africa out due to their better net run rate.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-59-cents and the euro at 19-rand-20-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-1-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-699-dollars-46-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-654-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Severe thunderstorms are expected across Johannesburg today, with heavy rain, strong winds, and possible flooding. Residents in low-lying areas are urged to avoid crossing river streams. Motorists should maintain a safe following distance and avoid flooded roads. Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi says authorities are closely monitoring the weather alert and are prepared to respond to any disruptions like road closures or power outages:  

Stay tuned for more news………….