News 06:00

BULLETIN 30 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa announces a four-point plan to address violence against women
# The US bans imports from Canada worth nearly 16.4-billion-rand
# And cricket: Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortjé’s fitness will be assessed before the Tests against Australia

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the violence inflicted upon the women of South Africa is a source of profound pain and national shame. He addressed the nation last night, outlining what the government is doing to confront gender-based violence and femicide in the country. This follows the discovery of the bodies of eleven women in and around Ekurhuleni in Gauteng in the last two months. Ramaphosa announced a four-point plan, which includes a safety audit in municipalities and a clampdown on liquor outlets:

Ramaphosa also says the country must confront the uncomfortable, devastating truth that the primary gender-based violence hotspot is in the home and in interpersonal relationships. A national study by the South African Medical Research Council found that an intimate partner killed more than 60-percent of women murdered in 2021 and 2022. Ramaphosa stated that the responsibility for violence always belongs to the person who commits it, never to the victim:

# Mpumalanga businessman Joe Sibanyoni has invoked his right against self-incrimination at the Madlanga Commission. Sibanyoni refused to answer questions on an alleged two-million-rand extortion scheme linked to businessman Thomas Ntuli on the Moloto Road project. He claims testifying could prejudice his ongoing criminal case in the Delmas Magistrate’s Court, repeatedly demanding immunity. Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson countered the refusal, reminding Sibanyoni of his assertion that he had committed no crime:

# The Public Servants Association is calling for urgent action to address critical staff shortages in KwaZulu-Natal’s public healthcare system. According to the union, qualified doctors remain unemployed while funded vacancies are frozen or unfilled, placing additional pressure on healthcare workers and affecting patient services. The association’s Zamani Dladla says the province needs to urgently fill vacant medical posts and prioritise the appointment of qualified unemployed doctors.

# The US has banned nearly 16.4-billion-rand worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles. This is in retaliation for Canada’s implementation of tariffs on a range of American goods earlier this month following a breakdown in trade talks. About 93-percent of all Canadian liquor exports in 2025 were sold to the US. President Donald Trump says he expects Ottawa to capitulate in the countries’ trade dispute, as Canadian officials insist they will not sign a deal that is bad for the country.

# Cricket: Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortjé will be assessed during the Proteas’ camp before the three-match Test series against Australia. Rabada returns after an injury kept him out of the one-day series, while Nortjé faced major injury concerns over the past three years. Both were included in the preliminary Test squad, but coach Shukri Conrad says he isn’t sure yet whether Nortjé will be able to handle the heavy workload of a Test. The first match starts in Durban next Friday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-38-cents and the euro at 18-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-557-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-178-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 99-dollars-47-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….