News 09:00

BULLETIN 14 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA is concerned by the Department of Public Works’ failure to complete projects
# The ANC makes up 50-percent of Tshwane’s new mayoral committee
# And road running: Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich smashes the women’s marathon world record

# ActionSA says despite exhausting 98-percent of its budget in the 2023/2024 financial year, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has only completed 59-percent of its projects. The Auditor General’s report reveals that 63 projects have been delayed by more than three years. ActionSA’s, Malebo Kobe, says the department is South Africa’s largest landlord, yet it appears incapable of managing the billion-rands worth of public assets under its care:

# Nehawu has criticised Parliament for ordering its almost one-thousand-200 support staff to undergo a range of medical tests. The tests include urine analysis, gastrointestinal tract inspections, and lung function checks. In a memo leaked to the Sunday Times, workers were allegedly also told to disclose all prescribed and over-the-counter medications they consume. Nehawu says the tests are intrusive and unnecessary. Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says the tests were needed for staff, particularly those identified as high risk or exposed to potential hazards.

# Newly elected Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya has unveiled her ten-member mayoral committee, with the ANC making up 50-percent of the executive. Moya ascended to the metro’s top post after the axing of the former mayor, Cilliers Brink, through a motion of no confidence. The mayoral committee consists of five members from the ANC, two from the EFF and ActionSA, and one from the GOOD Party. Moya says service delivery especially in townships is a key priority for the executive:

# Four Israeli soldiers have been killed and more than 60 people injured in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base in central northern Israel. The Lebanese militant group called the attack near Binyamina city retaliation for Israeli strikes on Beirut last Thursday that killed 22 people. The IDF says it will investigate how the drone got through without raising an alarm at the base. This attack comes almost two weeks after Israel launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon. 

# Road running: Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich broke the women’s world record by nearly two minutes at the Chicago Marathon. The 30-year-old clocked a time of two-hours-nine-minutes-and-57-seconds to surpass Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s previous record set in Berlin last year. Chepngetich, who also won in 2021 and 2022, is the first woman to break two-hours-and-ten-minutes in the marathon. In the men’s race, Kenya’s John Korir ran a personal best time of two-hours-two-minutes-and-44-seconds to claim victory. Chepngetich says breaking the world record is amazing:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-43-cents and the euro at 19-rand-5-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-101-dollars-40-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-655-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-4-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….