News 06:00

BULLETIN 28 January 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Special Investigation Unit recovers 1.7-billion-rand for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme
# The Public Service Association calls on the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates
# And rugby: The Blitzboks plan for success in Singapore

# The Special Investigating Unit has returned 1.7-billion-rand to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which will be allocated to students’ needs at institutions of higher education. This amount is part of more than two-billion-rand the SIU has so far clawed back from universities, TVET colleges, and former students who were not qualified to receive funding. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says they collected 126-million-rand from one-thousand-and-55 parents and unqualified Nsfas beneficiaries who have signed an acknowledgement of debt:

# The head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, Lesetja Senona, told the Madlanga Commission he did not know about wider criminality involving the Medicare 24 tender. He said his information came only from media reports and what businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala shared. Senona denied assisting Matlala in securing the 360-million-rand SAPS tender, explaining that such high-value contracts are handled by national supply chain management and not the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation:

# The Public Servants Association is urging the South African Reserve Bank to consider cutting interest rates at its Monetary Policy Committee meeting tomorrow. The union believes high interest rates are placing severe pressure on workers facing rising living costs, while also slowing economic growth. The association’s Claude Naiker argues that easing rates would provide relief to households, support small businesses, and help stabilise the economy as inflation continues to ease.

# The Gauteng Department of Health has rejected claims that it failed to spend its budget on healthcare services. According to its in-year monitoring reports for the 2025/2026 financial year, the department has instead projected an overspend of 1.2-billion-rand. This is mainly due to settling old debts, rising patient numbers, and higher costs for medicines and medical supplies. The department’s acting chief financial officer, Willie Sambo, says reports suggesting underspending are misleading:

# Former US president Joe Biden has called for a full, fair, and transparent investigation into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. They were both killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, barely two weeks apart, sparking widespread protests. Biden says what has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays their most basic values as Americans, adding that the US is not a nation that allows citizens to be brutalised for exercising their constitutional rights. He also praised the people of Minnesota for their resilience.

# Rugby: Blitzbok assistant coach Renfred Dazel says success in the weekend’s World Series Sevens tournament in Singapore will depend on their ability to handle unexpected hurdles. South Africa tops the log after a mediocre display in the first tournament of the new series in Dubai before being crowned champions in Cape Town after scoring more tries than any other team. The Blitzboks are without experienced playmakers Selvyn Davids, Ronald Brown, and Dewald Human, but Dazel says the squad’s depth would counter that.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-85-cents and the euro at 19-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-92-cents and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-204-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-170-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….