News 15:00

BULLETIN 20 November 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA calls for tax relief for vulnerable citizens as inflation drops to 2.8-percent
# The Auditor-General flags the two-billion-rand project Thusano for unaccredited Cuban training
# And Soccer: The South African legend Lucas Moripe dies

# The DA welcomes the latest inflation figure, which dropped to 2.8-percent in October, calling it a sign of economic stability. However, the party says many low-income citizens still struggle with high prices. They urge the Treasury to implement targeted tax relief measures, including expanding the list of VAT-exempted food items. The DA’s Wendy Alexander believes this will ease the financial burden on vulnerable households, reduce poverty, and help families manage costs more effectively:

# The Auditor-General has flagged a two-billion-rand collaboration between South Africa and Cuba, Project Thusano, for poor outcomes. The project aimed to train 108 students in medical professions. However, the programme’s qualifications are reportedly not accredited in South Africa, leaving students jobless. According to News24, only 28.57-percent of the first cohort passed their integration course, and bio-medical engineering graduates cannot register locally. Recommendations include accreditation reviews and collaboration with the Department of Health to ensure training value.

# Union Giwusa has welcomed the deployment of a team of mine rescue experts at an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, North West, to assist in the retrieval of scores of illegal miners underground. Giwusa president, Mametlwe Sebei, says all those involved appreciate the complexity and urgency of the situation:

# America has temporarily closed its embassy in the Ukranian capital of Kyiv after information of a potential significant air attack today. The embassy also urged US citizens to be prepared to immediately take shelter if an air alert is announced. This comes just days after the Biden administration announced it would allow Ukraine to fire US-made weapons into Russia. Ukraine’s air defence units were reportedly trying to repel a Russian air attack on Kyiv early this morning. The Ukrainian military says it shot down 56 out of 122 drones.

# Soccer: The soccer fraternity is mourning the death of former Orlando Pirates forward Lucas Moripe. The 71-year-old legend, nicknamed ‘Masterpieces’, died at his home in Atteridgeville. He was confined to a wheelchair in the latter parts of his life after suffering a stroke. Moripe was a pioneer in South African soccer and widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest players. He rose to prominence during the golden era of South African soccer in the 1970s. In 2010, the Atteridgeville Super Stadium was renamed to the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-14-cents and the euro at 19-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-95-cents and Bitcoin trades at 93-thousand-119-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-622-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….