News 09:00

BULLETIN 11 November 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA writes to the Speaker of Parliament after being denied access to police stations
# The Eastern Cape Education Department is concerned about a rise in food poisoning cases
# And extreme weather events are causing economic damage

# ActionSA says it will be writing to the Speaker of Parliament, Thoko Didiza, regarding the recent obstruction of one of its members of Parliament, Dereleen James, from carrying out her oversight duties at several police stations. The party says in one incident at the Lenasia South Police Station in Gauteng, the station commander instructed James to leave the station and asserted that she had no business being there. James says preventing MPs from performing oversight violates democratic accountability:

# Parliament is set to double the salaries of its lowest-paid workers, including cleaners, cooks, and waitstaff, over the next three years. According to the Sunday Times, the workers will see their annual earnings rise from 170-thousand-rand to 340-thousand-rand, surpassing the typical salaries of entry-level teachers and police officials in the country. Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, says the new salary alignment effectively eliminates the unjust dual system and ensures that all entry-level employees, regardless of job category, fall under a uniform pay structure.

# The Eastern Cape Education Department has issued a memorandum cautioning schools to remain vigilant amongst the recent widespread cases of food poisoning, and related deaths in the province. In one case, three children aged between one and four died of suspected food poisoning in Mdantsane. The department’s spokesperson, Mali Mtima, says it is imperative for schools to implement the food safety policy guidelines as stipulated in the National School Nutrition Programme:

# There has been a gradual upward trend in the cost of extreme weather events between 2014 and 2023, with a spike in 2017 when an active hurricane season battered North America. This is according to a report commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce. The report, which analysed four-thousand climate-related extreme weather events, found economic damages hit around seven-trillion-rand across the past two years alone. The chamber’s secretary-general, John Denton, says the data shows definitively that climate change is not a future problem.

# Tennis: World number one Jannik Sinner of Italy and American Taylor Fritz are off to a winning start in the Ilie Nastase Group of the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner defeated Alex de Minaur, 6-3, 6-4, extending his perfect record against the Australian seventh seed. Fritz recorded his 50th win of the year by beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, 6-4, 6-3. Sinner, who has now won seven consecutive tour-level matches, says he is happy with his overall performance:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-61-cents and the euro at 18-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-600-dollars-85-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-669-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….