News 11:00

BULLETIN 31 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA says Nersa’s tariff hikes are devastating for struggling households
# Donald Trump orders a review of air safety protocols after the deadly plane crash in Washington
# And cricket: The South African U19 team is into the final of the T20 Women’s World Cup

# ActionSA has expressed concern at energy regulator Nersa’s decision to approve Eskom’s sixth multi-year price determination revenue application for the next three financial years. The approved tariff increases are 12.74-percent for 2025/’26, 5.36-percent for 2026/’27, and 6.19-percent for 2027/’28. ActionSA’s Alan Beesley says even though the increase is lower than Eskom’s original request, it’s still well above the current inflation rate, which will be devastating for struggling households and businesses:

Meanwhile the GOOD Party says it is clear that electricity users are the ones who are paying for Eskom’s years of mismanagement. GOOD’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, says South Africans already pay among the highest electricity prices in the world relative to income:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit to probe six contracts in the Mpumalanga Department of Education. The contracts relate to the procurement and contracting for the supply of foodstuff for six schools. The SIU says investigations will assess whether the department followed National Treasury guidelines, and if any irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditures or financial losses were incurred. It adds it will also seek to establish if there was unlawful or improper conduct by the department’s employees.

# US president Donald Trump has issued a presidential memorandum directing the Federal Aviation Administration to review aviation policies. The memo specifically calls for a thorough reassessment of the diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices implemented during former president Joe Biden’s administration. This is in the wake of the plane crash that killed 67 people near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport. Trump says there has been a deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards:

# Cricket: South Africa’s Under-19 Women defeated Australia by five wickets in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to book their spot in the T20 World Cup final for the first time. Ashleigh van Wyk’s four-wicket haul saw the Proteas restrict Australia to 105 for eight. In reply, Jemma Botha top-scored with 37 off 24 balls as South Africa reached the target with eleven deliveries remaining. The victory sees South Africa maintain their unbeaten status at the tournament. They will face either India or England in Sunday’s final.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-55-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 104-thousand-619-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-794-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….