News 06:00

BULLETIN 19 November 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Moody’s acknowledges South Africa’s early signs of fiscal progress
# Brown Mogotsi says he had a direct line to Senzo Mchunu
# And rugby: Robbie Henshaw says the Boks are currently the talk of the rugby world

# Global ratings agency Moody’s has acknowledged tentative signs of fiscal improvement in South Africa, but warns that the country still faces an uphill battle to place public finances on a firmly sustainable footing. According to the National Treasury, stronger-than-expected tax revenue across value-added tax, corporate income tax, and other categories has allowed the government to brighten its fiscal expectations for 2025/2026 slightly. Moody’s says sustaining fiscal progress will require a dynamic and resilient tax base and a pickup in economic growth to two-percent by 2028.

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the opening of the Ivanplats’ Platreef Mine during the G20 Summit week is a proud signal of South Africa’s steady economic recovery. Ramaphosa praised the project as sustainability in action, commending leaders, shareholders, and workers for delivering a world-class operation. He said the milestone offers a glimpse of a bright future for South Africa’s mining industry:

# Former North West ANC member Brown Mogotsi has told the Madlanga commission that he has a direct line to Police minister Senzo Mchunu and has even visited his residence. Testifying at the commission in Pretoria, Mogotsi said he contacts Mchunu primarily on ‘ANC day’ when all members are available, and otherwise communicates through Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedric Nkabinde:

# The DA in the Western Cape has announced a new leadership team in the George Municipality. This follows the formation of a new multi-party coalition between the DA, Freedom Front Plus and the ACDP. The DA’s Browen Johnson will take over as mayor, with Gert van Niekerk of the FF Plus as deputy mayor, and former mayor Jackie von Brandis stepping in as council chief whip. DA provincial leader, Tertuis Simmers, says the ACDP will hold the position of Mayco Corporate Services:

# The Louvre Museum has temporarily closed one of its galleries due to structural weaknesses. It follows just weeks after a heist at the Paris landmark, during which historical jewels worth more than 1.7-billion-rand disappeared.  The Campana gallery, which houses nine rooms of ancient Greek ceramics on the first floor, was closed because its structures, designed in the 1930s, are in a dire state. Before the heist, the museum’s top administrator warned about conditions inside the museum, which was visited by 8.7-million people last year.

# Rugby: Irish centre Robbie Henshaw expects a proper test against world champions South Africa in Dublin on Saturday to ascertain where the team stands at the moment. Ireland lost to New Zealand and didn’t impress in their victory over Japan, but bounced back ruthlessly against the Wallabies last weekend, winning 46-19. Henshaw hopes they can back up that display with another big performance. He says the Springboks are currently the talk of the rugby world for grinding out victories when they look dead and buried.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-16-cents and the euro at 19-rand-88-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-57-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-807-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-71-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….