07:00 News

BULLETIN 5 November 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Amnesty International says the government is failing the millions trapped in informal settlements
# FNB economists say the fuel price cuts could slow inflation
# And rugby: The Boks don’t expect a revenge game from the French

# Amnesty International South Africa has accused the government of failing the lives of five million people living in informal settlements, many of them living on flood-prone land. Its latest report, Flooded and Forgotten: Informal Settlements and the Right to Housing in South Africa, examines the incidence and impact of floods on residents of informal settlements, particularly in Johannesburg, eThekwini, and Cape Town. Amnesty International South Africa’s executive director, Shenilla Mohamed, says the government must prioritise the upgrading of informal settlements and integrate disaster risk reduction into urban planning.

# Deputy Police minister Polly Boshielo says attempted murder accused Vusimuzi Cat Matlala’s multimillion rand tender was the only contract Police minister Senzo Mchunu was concerned with after his appointment last year. Matlala’s company, Medicare 24 Tshwane District, was awarded a 360-million-rand tender in June last year to provide healthcare services to the SAPS, despite having no proper qualifications. Boshielo told Parliament’s ad hoc committee that she was surprised that Mchunu got involved in the tender:

# FNB economists say petrol and diesel price cuts could help slow inflation and boost consumer confidence. From today, 93-octane and 95-octane petrol will drop by 51 cents-per litre, while diesel prices will fall by 19- to 21-cents per litre. The bank’s economist, Paul Makube, says lower fuel costs ease transport and production expenses, giving households more disposable income and supporting businesses, including agriculture and logistics:

# Three more suspects, aged between 17 and 20 years old, have been arrested for the Westbury double murder in Gauteng. This brings the total number of arrested suspects to five, following the shooting of a group of teenagers in which two were killed and several others were wounded last month. Police spokesperson, Brenda Muridili, says the trio were arrested after they were brought to the police by their parents and lawyers:

# At least 46 people, including six crew members of a military Huey helicopter, have been killed after Typhoon Kalmaegi unleashed heavy rains and floods across the central Philippines. Most of the fatalities, which were due to drowning, have been reported in the most populated central island of Cebu. Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes. The typhoon has weakened since making landfall early on Tuesday, but has continued to bring strong winds. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year.

# Rugby: The Springboks don’t believe France will be out for revenge when they meet in Paris on Saturday. This will be their first meeting after South Africa edged out the hosts in the quarterfinal of 2023’s World Cup. That led to huge criticism of referee Ben O’Keefe and death threats to some Boks. Assistant coach Felix Jones says they will just focus on their own game. He admits they regard the French as a huge threat and realise they will have to get their team selection correct.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-54-cents and the euro at 20-rand-16-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-705-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-938-dollars-76-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….