News 07:00

BULLETIN 11 November 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Malatsi justifies his decision to withdraw the SABC Bill from Parliament
# Water reduction will be implemented in Johannesburg’s high-usage areas
# And Netanyahu says he has had important conversations with Trump

# Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, says as it stands the SABC Bill does not serve the long-term interests of the public broadcaster and citizens. The SABC expects to incur a 590-million-rand financial loss for 2024/2025, from a 1.1-billion-rand loss in 2023/2024. Malatsi has withdrawn the bill from Parliament, stating that the current version does not adequately address a credible funding model, to ensure the broadcaster’s sustainability:

Meanwhile, parliament’s portfolio committee on Communications and Digital Technologies has expressed concern at Malatsi’s withdrawal of the SABC Bill. The committee’s chairperson, Khusela Diko, says the challenges facing the SABC require a considered and urgent response, not trigger-happy action, which serves no purpose but to frustrate and disrupt processes already underway. She adds that the public broadcaster could not be allowed to fail because its demise would spell unmitigated disaster.

# The Western Cape Government has approved an intervention in the Theewaterskloof Municipality. This follows extensive assessments of the municipality’s financial position, highlighting risks in its ability to deliver services to residents. Finance MEC, Deidré Baartman, says in the 2022/2023 financial year, the municipality consistently collected over 95-percent of its planned revenue and closed the year with a surplus. She says by August this year, the collection rate dropped to 64-percent, well below the National Treasury recommended norm:

# Johannesburg Water has announced a new water reduction strategy for high-usage areas, from today. This initiative comes amid ongoing Level 1 water restrictions that began in September. According to Johannesburg Water operations general manager Mzakhe Mtshweni the reductions will occur nightly from 9 PM to 5 AM to conserve water. Mtshweni says that Johannesburg Water is currently working at capacity, albeit with only 40-percent reserve available. Mtshweni confirmed that a schedule detailing these reductions will be publicised to ensure residents are informed.

# Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he has spoken with US president-elect Donald Trump three times since the election, to tighten the alliance between their nations. The prime minister’s words come as Israeli strikes in Lebanon and northern Gaza killed at least 23 people on Sunday including children. Netanyahu described the conversations with Trump as good and important, saying they both see eye to eye on the Iranian threat in all its components, and the danger posed by it.

# Cricket: The Proteas secured a three-wicket victory against India in the second T20 in Gqeberha to level the four-match series one-all. The visitors were sent in to bat first and posted 124 for six with Hardik Pandya scoring an unbeaten 39. In reply, Tristan Stubbs rescued South Africa from 66 for six and shared in a 42-run stand with Gerald Coetzee to end India’s winning streak in T20, which extended back eleven matches. The third T20 will be played in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-61-cents and the euro at 18-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-76-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-287-dollar-54-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-672-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-57-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….