News 16:00

BULLETIN 17 October 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A forum reveals investment confidence in South Africa has improved
# Rugby: All Blacks coach Scott Robertson expects intriguing contests against the Northern Hemisphere teams
# And South Africa accounts for nearly 40-percent of global anti-HIV pill users

# The Southern Africa and Indian Ocean – France Business Forum has revealed that the formation of the government of national unity is accelerating reforms, attracting foreign investment and boosting economic confidence. Speaking at the forum, French ambassador David Martinon cited stability and partnerships driving 100-billion-rand investments from French companies over the past four years. This includes investment opportunities in energy, manufacturing, and the rail sectors. He emphasises the potential for further business growth and job creation.

# Action Society is urging immediate action as delays in forensic reports are causing significant setbacks in thousands of criminal cases. The South African Police Service’s forensic laboratories are facing a backlog, with only a small percentage of routine cases processed on time. Action Society’s Juanita du Preez says these delays particularly affect gender-based violence cases and other serious crimes like rape and murder, leading to stalled court proceedings: 

# The Gauteng Department of Health says it has made strides in improving oncology services, particularly for patients requiring radiotherapy. The department’s spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, says several key interventions have been implemented to improve the accessibility and quality of cancer treatment in the province. He says the department has completed the process to outsource radiotherapy services to private healthcare providers, with an allocation of 260-million-rand for 24 months:

# Rugby: All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson believes the next six weeks will give him a good insight into the team after he was given a tough schedule for his first end-of-season tour. New Zealand plays Japan in Yokohama on the 26th of this month, followed by Tests against England, Ireland, France and Italy in Europe. The team departed for Japan today. Robertson says the gap between Southern and Northern Hemisphere rugby has closed, and this will make for some intriguing contests.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-72-cents and the euro at 19-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-953-dollars-66-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-672-dollars-83-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Almost 40-percent of the world’s anti-HIV pill users live in South Africa. According to the Health Department’s figures, by August 2023, 1.65-million HIV-negative individuals had used the pill at least once. This makes South Africa’s programme the largest globally, representing a large percentage of the 3.5-million users worldwide. This pill significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV through sex. To meet UNAids targets, the country aims to lower new infections from 150-thousand in 2023 to 105-thousand by 2025.

Stay tuned for more news………….