News 06:00

BULLETIN 30 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Godongwana questions free healthcare for undocumented migrants
# Putin calls up 135-thousand men for routine military service
# And rugby: The Pumas lose two players before their Twickenham clash against the Springboks

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has questioned the affordability of providing free public healthcare to undocumented migrants, saying limited resources should prioritise legal residents. Speaking in Pretoria, Godongwana noted the Constitution obliges the state to provide services to all, calling this a grave mistake. His remarks come amid South Africa’s long-standing tensions over migration and strained public services. He confirmed that the Treasury is reviewing government spending to find ways of saving money and avoiding waste.

# Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo has told the Madlanga commission that only two members of the ‘Big Five’ cartel have so far been identified, while three others remain unnamed. Khumalo states Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Katiso “KT” Molefe are part of the syndicate, which is involved in drug trafficking, hijackings, tender fraud, and contract killings. He also accused Police Ministry insider businessman Brown Mogotsi of using his influence to block investigations into Matlala:

# Eskom says it remains committed to executing its generation operational recovery plan, to ensure energy security, economic growth, and long-term sustainability for South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region. The power utility has confirmed that Unit 6 at Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga has officially entered commercial operation. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says they are also accelerating efforts to expand their renewable energy portfolio to complement the power utility’s baseload infrastructure:

# Russian President Vladimir Putin has called up 135-thousand men for routine military service, the country’s biggest autumn conscription drive since 2016. Russia calls up men aged between 18 and 30 for compulsory military service each spring and autumn. Conscripts are expected to serve for a year at a military base inside Russia, not to fight in Ukraine, although there have been reports of conscripted men being sent to the front line. Russia’s annual conscription campaigns are unrelated to mobilisation, in which Russian men are drafted to fight during wartime.

# Rugby: Argentina lost the services of Tomas Albornoz and Gonzalo Garcia for Saturday’s final Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks at Twickenham. They were replaced by Gonzalo Bertranou and Nicolas Roger. Both teams departed for the UK from Durban after Saturday’s 67-30 victory by South Africa. The loss ruled Los Pumas out of contention for the title, with the Boks, the All Blacks and the Wallabies all still in with a chance. New Zealand and Australia will do battle in Perth earlier on Saturday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-26-cents and the euro at 20-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-333-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-828-dollars-17-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Imran Hamdulay’s feature debut, The Heart is a Muscle, has been selected as the country’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. The film explores the bonds between fathers and sons and draws on experiences specific to the Cape Flats neighbourhood. The cast includes Keenan Arrison, Melissa De Vries, and Loren Loubser. The film premiered in the Panorama section of Berlin this year, winning the Ecumenical Jury Prize. The Oscars will be held on March 15, 2026.

Stay tuned for more news………….