News 07:00

BULLETIN 1 October 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy minister Mhlauli says young people need real opportunities in the economy
# An investigation finds nearly a thousand children have been abused by Catholic clergy in the USA
# And cricket: Australia win the third and final ODI against South Africa

# Deputy minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli says the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention cannot address youth unemployment alone. She says the challenge’s scale and complexity require continued cooperation among government, business, civil society, educational institutions, and other partners. In the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year, the Employment Intervention recorded 139-thousand-693 earning opportunities secured by young people through the National Pathway Management Network. Mhlauli says young people need pathways that are accessible, relevant, and connected to real opportunities in the economy:

# The DA is calling for a complete, evidence-based redesign of South Africa’s parole and community corrections system. Across the country, 35-percent of all parole board posts lie vacant, including 41 community member positions, 17 chairpersons, and 15 vice-chairpersons. In regions like Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the North West, 19 of 24 posts are unfilled. The DA’s Janho Engelbrecht says meaningful reform is being actively delayed by the Department of Correctional Services’ own internal administrative inefficiencies and obstruction by other state departments and independent state entities:

# Former Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has been acquitted in the criminal case linked to the Absa-Bankorp matter. This follows the State’s withdrawal of the founding and main charge of perjury against her. The case centred on allegations that Mkhwebane lied under oath about the number of times she met with former president Jacob Zuma during her investigation into the apartheid-era Bankorp bailout. The Busisiwe Mkhwebane Foundation has described the acquittal as significant for Mkhwebane, who has consistently maintained that she was acting in the interests of accountability.

# A state investigation in Massachusetts, USA, has found evidence that more than 270 Catholic clergy abused nearly one-thousand children across three dioceses over about a century. The Attorney General’s Office says the investigation covers the dioceses of Fall River, Springfield and Worcester. Its report identifies 275 accused clergy and 944 victims. The findings follow a state inquiry that began several years ago and was delayed by legal issues surrounding the release of the report. The investigation examines allegations dating back decades and includes cases involving clergy who are now dead.

# Cricket: Australia beat South Africa by 45 runs on the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method as rain affected the third and final ODI in Potchefstroom. Alex Carey top-scored with 74 from 88 balls as the tourists posted 322 for nine in their 50 overs. In reply, Ryan Rickelton scored an unbeaten 71 off 81 balls, but the Proteas were on 145 for four in the 28th over when the rain started; they needed to be on 192 at the time, giving Australia a consolidation win. South Africa won the series 2-1.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-44-cents and the euro at 18-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-81-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-496-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-160-dollars-76-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 101-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The University of Cape Town has climbed 17 places to 147th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2027. It remains the top-ranked university in Africa and recorded its highest overall score in the rankings since 2016. The university says improvements in research and teaching were among the main drivers of its rise. UCT vice-chancellor Mosa Moshabela states the result reflects the efforts of students, staff, alumni and partners.

Stay tuned for more news………….