News 12:00

BULLETIN 18 August 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Business Leadership South Africa says high unemployment fuels inequality and undermines social cohesion
# The Gauteng Transport MEC will meet with public transport operators in Soweto again
# And tennis: Iga Swiatek will face Jasmin Paolini in the final of the Cincinnati Open

# Business Leadership South Africa says the country’s unemployment rate of 32.9-percent reflects an economy suffocating under structural inefficiencies that urgent reforms could fix. The organisation launched its Reform Tracker last week, monitoring the government’s implementation of priority economic, governance, and criminal justice reforms. In her weekly newsletter, BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says the unemployment crisis demands urgent action to preserve the country’s stability and prosperity. She says high unemployment fuels inequality, undermines social cohesion, and erodes faith in democratic institutions.

# Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, is set to meet with public transport operators in Soweto again today. This is part of efforts to find lasting solutions to issues affecting the sector in the wake of resurging violence, which left one person dead and two others injured near the Maponya Mall last Wednesday. Last Thursday’s meeting resolved that all public transport operators must be allowed access and operate inside the mall, and stakeholders also agreed that the safety of passengers is imperative.

Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council has denied claims that it allegedly instructed people not to use private vehicles or carry their families, labelling the reports as false and misleading. This comes after pictures and videos emerged on social media alleging that Santaco members harassed motorists and prevented them from having more than one passenger in their cars. Santaco’s spokesperson, Rebecca Phala, says like all other paid-for transport services, taxi operations are voluntary and remain a choice available to commuters:

# The Western Cape Education Department says parents of learners who wish to apply for a school transfer for the 2026 school year have until midnight today to apply. Spokesperson Bronagh Hammond says this applies to learners already attending school in Grades 2 to 7 and Grades 9 to 12. She says transfer applications can also be done at the relevant school to which the parent and caregiver wishes to transfer the child to, or the relevant district office:

# Tennis: World number three, Iga Swiatek of Poland, will face Italian Jasmine Paolini in the Cincinnati Open final. Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, swept past Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina while Paolini battled past Russian Veronika Kudermetova. Swiatek has won all five previous matches against Paolini, including last year’s French Open. Meanwhile, the top-two men in the world will face off in the final: defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-62-cents and the euro at 20-rand-58-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 115-thousand-327-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-345-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….