News 08:00

BULLETIN 19 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Somadoda Fikeni warns of resistance to the Madlanga Commission’s recommendations
# The US Health secretary tells vaccine-sceptic activists they have a friend in the White House
# And cricket: The Proteas will face Australia without three established bowlers in the ODI series

# Public Service Commission chairperson Somadoda Fikeni has warned that recommendations from the Madlanga Commission could face resistance after the inquiry concludes. Testifying before the commission, Fikeni said resistance may involve legal hurdles, resource constraints, administrative processes or institutional dependencies, rather than outright refusal. He says the success of a commission should be measured by what happens after its report, including clear responsibility, resources, progress reporting and independent verification of implementation:

# The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has officially opened the 2027 academic year applications. More than five-thousand applications were received within hours. University applications close on 31 October, while TVET college applications close on 30 September. Speaking in Johannesburg, Higher Education and Training minister Buti Manamela confirmed NSFAS strengthened data verification, automated document checks and student support. He urged students to apply early to secure universities or TVET colleges admission:

# Eskom says its generation performance continues to improve, with its energy availability factor reaching 68-percent for the financial year to date, the highest level in six years. According to the utility, unplanned outages have fallen, while about six-thousand-200 megawatts of generation capacity has been returned to the grid over the past three years. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says diesel spending has also dropped by five-billion-rand compared with the same period last year:

# US Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior has told vaccine-sceptic activists they have a strong and steadfast friend in president Donald Trump’s White House. He made the comments at a conference of Children’s Health Defense, a group he previously led that campaigns for changes to childhood vaccination policies. Kenney praised the Trump administration’s efforts to alter vaccine guidance and says he was working to turn the group’s priorities into policy. The US faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.

# And finally cricket: The Proteas will face Australia in the one-day series without established bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Ottneil Baartman. Ngidi picked up an injury playing a domestic game for the Titans against the Dolphins this week. Gerald Coetzee and Duan Jansen had earlier been called up to the national set-up following Rabada and Baartman’s injury-enforced withdrawals. Twenty-year-old seamer Nqobani Mokoena, who recently played his first match for the Proteas against Namibia, will replace Ngidi. The first of the three ODIs will be played in Durban on Thursday.

And, Travis Head smashed 112 as Australia beat Zimbabwe by 84 runs in the second ODI in Harare, securing the three-match series with a two-nil lead. Head’s century came from 75 balls, while Cooper Connolly made 78 and captain Mitchell Marsh added 53 as Australia posted 356 for six. Zimbabwe struggled to keep pace in reply, eventually being bowled out for 272. Head’s innings ended a lean run of form and earned him player-of-the-match honours. The final ODI will be played tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more news………….