News 13:00

BULLETIN 18 November 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Road Accident Fund assets worth millions are to be auctioned
# Education and awareness are key to stopping the rise in food-borne illnesses in Gauteng
# And rugby: Ireland replaces the All Blacks in the number two world ranking behind the Boks

# The sheriff of the High Court will auction Road Accident Fund assets to the value of 18-million-rand on 5 December, following non-payment of claims. Speaking to The Citizen, the fund’s spokesperson, McIntosh Polela, confirmed that most seizures target the East London and Johannesburg offices. Polela confirmed the fund’s financial struggles, including leasing equipment to avoid asset attachment. Meanwhile, critics have blamed the fund for mismanagement, since they have a backlog of 321-thousand claims.

# Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko says her department will continue with education and awareness campaigns focused on food safety, and the correct usage of pesticides. This follows the increasing cases of food poisoning in the country. In Gauteng alone, over 400 food contamination incidents allegedly linked to spaza shops have been recorded since the beginning of the year, with 23 deaths, mostly children. The department’s spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, says the Corner-to-Corner campaign will reach all areas of the province:

# Border Management Authority officials successfully intercepted a German national at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng, who has been on Interpol’s most wanted list. The man had evaded arrest for drug trafficking for the past eight years. The authority’s Mmemme Mogotsi says the suspect was also found to have an international warrant of arrest. She says he had been living in Malawi under a new identity and in possession of a Malawian temporary residence:

# Rugby: New Zealand relinquished second position in the world rankings to Ireland following the weekend’s one-point loss to France in Paris. South Africa increased its lead on top of the rankings to two points after Saturday’s 29-20 victory over England at Twickenham. France remains in fourth position, followed by Argentina, Scotland, England, Australia, Fiji and Italy. Wales remains in 11th position after their 52-20 dribbing by the Wallabies, with Georgia in 12th after squandering a lead to go down to Italy.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-11-cents and the euro at 19-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-938-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-588-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South African retirees overestimate their savings and underestimate their expenses, causing serious difficulties with money throughout their golden years. This is according to the most recent FNB Retirement Insights Survey 2024. FNB’s Integrated Advice product head, Ester Ochse, says less than 27-percent of South Africans over the age of 60 have one month’s worth of emergency savings:

Stay tuned for more news………….