News 15:00

BULLETIN 5 November 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The leader of the political killings task team was not consulted on its disbandment 
# AfriForum calls for clarity on the problems with Gauteng’s school placements for next year 
# And tennis: Sabalenka and Kyrgios will face off in the latest battle of the sexes

# Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo has confirmed before the Madlanga commission he was never consulted on the disbandment of the political killings task team, despite being its project lead. Khumalo says the letter by suspended Police minister Senzo Mchunu was not addressed to him, yet directly affected his team. He adds the announcement ruined his New Year’s Day and left 110 task team members confused and demoralised by the letter’s tone:

# The Road Accident Fund has paid out a record 5.5-billion-rand last month, marking its highest monthly payout for the 2025/26 financial year. This follows 4.2-billion-rand in September, bringing total payouts since April to 20.2-billion-rand, up from 16-billion-rand in previous years. RAF interim chairperson Kenneth Brown says this reflects progress in stabilising the institution under the new board, which is tackling governance, financial, and human resources challenges.

# Industry body SA Canegrowers has raised alarm over a 400-percent surge in imported sugar, warning it is devastating local sales and threatening thousands of rural jobs in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Local sugar sales have dropped 13-percent year-on-year, amounting to a 100-thousand-ton loss. The organisation accuses subsidised imports from countries like Brazil of distorting prices. It calls on the government to strengthen trade protections and scrap the sugar tax to safeguard the struggling local industry.

# AfriForum is calling on Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, to provide clarity on the problems currently being experienced with school placements for next year. Parents, particularly in Pretoria and Centurion, have complained about incorrect or no placements. There have also been reports of an individual known as “Godfrey”, who is allegedly soliciting bribes from parents in exchange for placements. AfriForum’s Carien Bloem says it is also concerning that the placement process has still not been completed:

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will play Australian Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition match in the United Arab Emirates at the end of next month. This will be the fourth so-called battle of the sexes. American Bobby Riggs beat Australian Margaret Court in 1973, whereafter his compatriot Billie Jean King overpowered him a few months later. In 1992, American Jimmy Connors beat compatriot Martina Navratilova. Kyrgios says he has massive respect for Sabalenka, but had never backed down from a challenge.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-47-cents and the euro at 20-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-76-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-742-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-959-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-47-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….