News 13:00

BULLETIN 17 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An education activist cautions parents and learners about bogus school
# Kibo Energy has preliminary approval for a waste-to-energy project in South Africa
# And Rugby: Five women are included on Saru’s national match official panel

# Education activist Hendrick Makaneta is urging parents and students to be more vigilant and exercise caution concerning fly-by-night schools that operate illegally in the country. Last year, exam watchdog, Umalusi warned about the mushrooming of bogus online schools and the increase in the reported cases of fake certificates. Makaneta says for far too long, innocent and unsuspecting students have been taken for a ride by criminal elements that operate unregistered schools:

Meanwhile, AfriForum has welcomed the postponement of the 19th of January deadline for the public to provide written submissions on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill. The deadline is now the 31st of this month. AfriForum’s Alana Bailey says if the Bela Bill is passed in its current format, communities’ and parents’ decision-making powers regarding crucial aspects of their children’s education will be terminated:

# Ireland-based Kibo Energy says it has received conditional preliminary approval for development funding for a waste-to-energy project in South Africa. One of the company’s schemes in the country is the development of the Sustineri Energy plastic waste-to-synthetic oil project in Gauteng in partnership with Industrial Energy Solutions. The first phase, comprising of 2.7 megawatts plastic-to-syngas production, is at an advanced project development stage. CEO Louis Coetzee says Kibo Energy has made progress in delivering low- or zero-carbon energy-generation solutions across Southern Africa, the UK and Ireland.

# British inflation unexpectedly accelerated in December, according to official data, confounding expectations of a slowdown and dimming hopes of an interest rate cut. AFP reports the Office for National Statistics said in a statement the consumer prices index rate climbed to four-percent last month after slowing to 3.9-percent in November, which had been the lowest level since September 2001.

# Rugby: A record number of five women have been included on SA Rugby’s national match official panel for this year. They are Aimee Barret-Theron, Ashley Murray-Pretorius, Sinesipho Foloti, Giana Viljoen and Zoë Naudé. Two men, Eon van Zyl and Daniel Canhenga, were promoted from the academy panel to the national panel. Referees manager Banks Yantolo says their identification programmes in the provincial unions are bearing fruit as they continue to work hard with potential top-level match officials with intensive coaching and enhancement.

Stay tuned for more news………….