News 17:00
BULLETIN 1 December 5 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Exemption permits for Zimbabweans are extended for two years
# Public Servants Association welcomes the arrest of former Office of Chief Justice employees in tender scandal
# And Rugby: The Blitzboks are ready to start a new chapter in Dubai
# Home Affairs has extended the validity of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit for approximately 178-thousand Zimbabwean nationals for an additional two years. Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says eligible Zimbabwean nationals must apply for new permits. He emphasises permit holders will not be allowed to renew the permit after the two-year period. Motsoaledi says permit holders can also not change the status of the permit in South Africa and are required to disclose information about children born or residing in the country:
# The Public Servants Association welcomes the arrests of three former Office of the Chief Justice employees in a 225-million-rand IT tender scandal. Yvonne van Niekerk, Casper Coetzer and Nkosikhona Ncube allegedly facilitated a deal with international media and technology company, Thomson Reuters, aiming to earn 30-percent of the amount. They are out on bail after appearing in court. The PSA urges government to condemn such misconduct and calls for strict sentencing. The association’s Reuben Maleka commended the office for taking legal action against corruption and the misuse of taxpayers’ money.
# The South African National Roads Agency is re-advertising 86 road construction tenders valued at 7.2-billion-rand. The tenders were among those cancelled due to a legal challenge to Sanral’s new preferential procurement policy scoring system. The agency now aims to fast-track the adjudication of these tenders to restart the projects. The tenders will be adjudicated under Sanral’s new interim preferential procurement policy, which was adopted by its board. The board withdrew the previous policy after legal challenges. Sanral says the tenders are part of efforts to build and maintain national roads.
# Rugby: The Dubai Sevens has been a happy hunting ground for the Blitzboks over the years, but their recent form has been disappointing. Despite winning in the United Arab Emirates last year, South Africa ended the series in seventh place. The side will start their season against Samoa tomorrow morning, followed by group games against Canada and New Zealand. Assistant coach Philip Snyman says the Blitzboks’ exploits in Dubai is something to be proud of, but it is time for a new chapter:
# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-65-cents and the euro at 20-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 38-thousand-515-dollars-25-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-38-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-60-cents a barrel.
# And finally: Buckingham Palace says it’s considering all options after King Charles and Prince William’s wife, Catherine, were named as the two royals who allegedly made a racist comment towards Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s unborn son. The names were published in the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s new book, Endgame, which was taken off the shelves. The palace described the allegation as fiction, when Harry and Meghan said in an interview in 2021, two royals raised concerns over Archie’s skin colour before he was born.
Stay tuned for more news………….