News 09:00
BULLETIN 12 March 9 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The Department of Basic Education is concerned about misleading information regarding the Bela Bill being communicated
# The FF Plus says the water shortage in parts of Gauteng is causing health problems
# And, an intelligence report reveals China could meddle in the US elections in November
# The Department of Basic Education says claims that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill has been rejected is a desperate attempt at delaying much-needed transformation in the sector. This comes after the DA claimed that parents in Gauteng have rejected the bill following public hearings, saying they were concerned about the implications of the Bela Bill. The department’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, says the views of those who attended the hearings do not represent the whole country:
# The Public Service Commission says it has received over a thousand complaints of alleged corruption at government departments from the first to the third quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year. About 900 of the complaints were at public entities, with fewer at national departments. Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal reported the highest whistleblower malfeasance complaints. The commission says despite a majority of the cases being finalised, unwarranted delays jeopardise investigations.
# The Freedom Front Plus in Gauteng says some residents are experiencing gastrointestinal disorders, as a result of the water shortages affecting parts of Gauteng including Mogale City Municipality in the West Rand. Damage to City Power’s power system has rendered Rand Water’s Eikenhof Pump Station non-operational. The FF Plus’, Amanda de Lange, says many elderly people, who have to fend for themselves, do not have transport to get to the nearest water truck:
# A US intelligence report claims China is strengthening its covert influence operations and may attempt to influence this year’s elections. After the 2016 race, several investigations indicated Russia ran an influence campaign designed to benefit then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Four years later, intelligence officials said Russia, China, and Iran sought to interfere with the 2020 race. The report states that China could interfere with the elections in November because of its desire to sideline critics of China and magnify US societal divisions.
# Soccer: The English Premier League has agreed with clubs to introduce a new competition financial system, replacing the controversial profitability and sustainability rules. The new system will be aligned with UEFA’s Financial Sustainability Regulations, which from 2025-2026 will limit spending on transfer fees and player wages to 70-percent of the club’s revenue. The new rules will not affect the ongoing cases regarding Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City, who will continue to be judged on existing financial models.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-69-cents and the euro at 20-rand-44-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-986-dollars-96-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-179-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-45-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….