News 11:00

BULLETIN XX Month X am/pm

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AfriForum rejects accusations of sowing racial division in the country
# The United Nations says the task of rebuilding Gaza is monumental
# And motorsport: Lando Norris is ready to challenge for the F1 drivers’ championship

# AfriForum has strongly rejected accusations from ANC leaders, including Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, who claimed the organisation is sowing racial divisions. The civil rights organisation argues it actively works to improve living conditions across cultural boundaries, contrary to the divisive actions and statements of the ANC. AfriForum’s Barend Uys condemns the offensive language used by government officials and stresses the importance of mutual respect and unity between cultural communities:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Higher Education has expressed concern over the ongoing decline of the National Skills Fund, saying the entity is not on track to resolve its systemic challenges. The fund recorded a significant underspending of 3.7-billion-rand during the 2023/’24 financial year. Committee chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, says the underspending is particularly alarming given the country’s high youth unemployment rate. He adds it’s clear the fund is ill-equipped to make a meaningful contribution to addressing the country’s skills deficit. 

# ActionSA in Johannesburg is demanding clarity on the 194-million-rand Lilian Ngoyi Street restoration tender awarded to Korone Engineering, amid allegations of irregularities. The street has been closed since a gas explosion in July 2023. ActionSA’s Zark Lebatlang says they have established that Korone Engineering is owned by a South African citizen in partnership with a Nigerian-born engineer, George Olugbenga, and his wife:

# The United Nations says it is racing against time to expand humanitarian relief and prepare for the monumental task of rebuilding Gaza, as a fragile ceasefire holds. Earlier this week Hamas suggested there might be an indefinite delay in the release of the next three hostages due to violations by Israel, but confirmed yesterday the hostages will be released tomorrow. The UN’s Office for Project Services says the scale of the destruction in Gaza poses a logistical and financial challenge likely to persist for years.

# Motorsport: McLaren’s Lando Norris says he is determined to challenge for the drivers’ championship again this year, as the new Formula One season begins in Australia next month. The Brit helped McLaren to a first constructors’ crown since 1998 last year, but finished 63 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who claimed his fourth successive drivers’ title. Norris says he needs to get his elbows out but also be smart in his battles with Verstappen:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-43-cents and the euro at 19-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-840-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-932-dollars-41-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-1-cent a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….