News 11:00

BULLETIN 24 September 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa is leading the national Heritage Day celebrations in the Western Cape today
# The DA wants to know why the celebrations were moved to the Western Cape at the last minute
# And Namibia suspends the ⁠movement of cloven-hoofed animals due to a foot and mouth disease outbreak

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the National Heritage Day celebrations at the Rosemoor Stadium in Thembalethu, George, Western Cape today. The celebration will be held under the theme “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us”. The Presidency says the theme highlights the role of living heritage in promoting national unity, social cohesion, Ubuntu and a shared sense of belonging. It adds that since the advent of democracy, the country has progressively reoriented the heritage sector towards inclusivity, redress and cultural democracy.

Meanwhile, the DA is calling on minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, to account for the last-minute decision to move the national Heritage Day celebrations to the Western Cape. The event was originally planned for KwaZulu-Natal, to coincide with uMkhosi weLembe, the Zulu nation’s annual commemoration of King Shaka. However, McKenzie stated that after discussions, they decided uMkhosi weLembe deserved its own separate day. The DA’s Benedicta van Minnen says this last-minute change raises questions over planning and public money:

# Foot and Mouth Disease has been detected in Namibia after ten cattle tested positive at a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District in the Khara Region. This comes as South Africa is battling its worst outbreak ‌of ⁠the disease, as government plans to vaccinate 80-percent of its national cattle herd of about 14-million animals. Acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, doctor Charles Mubita, says the outbreak has prompted government to impose immediate control measures under the Animal Health Act:

# The Land Bank has temporarily paused new applications for its blended finance scheme after demand for affordable agricultural finance exceeded available grant funding. The scheme has supported 540 beneficiaries since its launch in 2022. The pause will remain in place for the rest of the 2026/2027 financial year, unless additional funding becomes available. The scheme has not been discontinued and is expected to reopen for new applications in the next financial year, with farmers able to apply for other agricultural loan products.

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called Vladimir Putin “patient zero,” saying the Russian leader spreads war and instability. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he stated that the more freedom Putin has to act, the more dangerous the world becomes for everyone else. Zelensky emphasised that Ukraine’s cause is about protecting critical infrastructure, food security, protecting lives, and slowing down the development of lethal weapons used to kill:

# And tennis: Alexander Zverev and Team World captain Andre Agassi have defended the Laver Cup ahead of this year’s London tournament. The three-day event starts tomorrow at the O2 Arena, with Europe facing the rest of the world. Agassi says the atmosphere is spectacular and the competition is always intense. Zverev, who won the US Open earlier this month, says he enjoys the team environment and remains loyal to the event, which has supported him in the past. Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur are among the other leading players taking part.

Stay tuned for more news………….