News 15:00

BULLETIN 20 January 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa approves salary increases for public office-bearers
# Cricket: The line-up for the SA20 playoffs is confirmed
# And minister Groenewald praises the academic success of incarcerated learners

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved salary increases for public office-bearers effective 1 April. Following recommendations by the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Office-bearers , some categories will receive a 4.1-percent increase, including judges, magistrates, traditional leaders and heads of constitutional institutions. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the decision considered affordability, inflation and the state’s available resources:

# The Gauteng Education says the driver involved in the Vanderbijlpark learner transport crash is apparently in police custody. Spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that 12 learners died and one is still to be identified. He confirmed three learners remain in ICU, one in a private facility and two in public hospitals, while one injured learner has been discharged:

# Solidarity calls on the United States to retain South Africa’s participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The movement’s Jaco Kleynhans says chairperson Flip Buys wrote to presidents Ramaphosa and Donald Trump, and senate leader John Thune, urging that diplomatic tensions should not derail the trade agreement. Kleynhans warns excluding South Africa would harm workers, businesses, and export-dependent industries:

# Cricket: The stage is set for the SA20 playoffs. Top-of-the-table Sunrisers Eastern Cape will take on second-placed Pretoria Capitals in the first qualifier in Durban tomorrow. Third-placed Paarl Royals and fourth-placed Joburg Super Kings will collide in the eliminator in Centurion on Thursday. The loser of qualifier one and the winner of the eliminator will meet in the second qualifier at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Friday. Sunday’s final will be between the winner of Friday’s game and the winner of qualifier one at Newlands in Cape Town.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-43-cents and the euro at 19-rand-27-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-12-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-267-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-728-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Learners in South Africa’s correctional facilities achieved a 94.4-percent pass rate in the matric exams, surpassing the national average of 88-percent. A total of 180 learners from 18 schools sat for exams, with 15 schools achieving a 100-percent pass rate and 132 distinctions earned. Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald praised the efforts, emphasising education as a key tool for rehabilitation.

Stay tuned for more news………….