News 09:00

BULLETIN 30 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Kubayi assures full government cooperation with the TRC 
# Public Works has a plan to revive construction projects and neglected state buildings
# And the WHO condemns the killing of patients and abduction of health workers in Sudan

# Justice and Constitutional Development minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, says it has noted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s concerns regarding the level of cooperation from certain government departments and agencies. This comes as the commission has had to issue a legal directive after key institutions, including the NPA, SAPS, the Presidency, and the Justice Department, failed to provide the requested documents. The department’s spokesperson, Terrence Manase, says minister Kubayi has reaffirmed the government’s full support for and cooperation with the commission:

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson says it is high time that contractors who do not deliver and act with impunity are held accountable. On Wednesday, the minister unveiled the South African Construction Action Plan to recover delayed construction projects and restore accountability across the Public Works and Infrastructure sector. The six-point plan includes the digital tracking of all construction projects and ring-fencing budgets to ensure that contractors are paid on time. Macpherson says this plan will improve project delivery and strengthen governance.

# Acting Police minister, Firoz Cachalia, has welcomed the major drug bust in Midrand, Gauteng, which led to the seizure of cocaine valued at approximately 20-million-rand. Police raided a property in Blue Hills where they discovered cocaine weighing about 80 kilogrammes hidden in a storage room. A 56-year-old man, who is believed to be the owner of the property, was arrested. The Police ministry’s spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, says the drug bust is a major blow to organised criminal syndicates:

# The World Health Organisation has condemned the reported killing of more than 460 patients, as well as the abduction of six health workers, from the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher, Sudan. Before this latest attack, the WHO had verified 185 attacks on health care in Sudan with one-thousand-204 deaths and 416 injuries of health workers and patients, since the start of the conflict in April 2023. Forty-nine of these attacks occurred this year alone. WHO says all attacks on health care must stop immediately.

# Tennis: World number two Jannik Sinner is through to the last 16 of the Paris Masters. The Italian dispatched Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, 6-4, 6-2 in 88 minutes, extending his tour-level winning streak on indoor hard courts to 22 matches. Sinner will face Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, who battled past Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 1-6, 7-6. Russia’s Daniil Medvedev also advanced to the last 16 after his second-round opponent, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, was forced to withdraw before their match due to a right shoulder injury.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-18-cents and the euro at 19-rand-99-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-71-cents and Bitcoin trades at 109-thousand-33-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-953-dollars-59-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….