News 11:00

BULLETIN 29 October 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Macpherson says the government needs to reform the Expanded Public Works Programme
# Cape Town’s beaches continue to lead with eight Blue Flag accolades
# And cricket: Taijul Islam vows Bangladesh will bounce back in the second Test against South Africa

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson says government need to reform the Expanded Public Works Programme to ensure that recipients are better paid through permanent jobs. The EPWP programme has been a vital tool to address the plight of poverty in many communities and at the same time improve service delivery. Macpherson says the programme brings dignity and skills development to communities in need:

# The Freedom Front Plus in Gauteng says municipalities’ failing service delivery not only poses a serious threat to South Africa’s economy and stability, but also to that of Sub-Saharan Africa. Gauteng has the fourth largest economy in Africa, after the entire South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. The party’s Jaco Mulder says Gauteng municipalities urgently need provincial intervention:

# The City of Cape Town says eight of its beaches have been awarded prestigious Blue Flag status for the 2024/’25 season. This coveted international recognition is given to beaches that meet high standards of environmental management, water quality, safety and services, and environmental education. Mayoral committee member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross says the city remains committed to providing top-tier beach experiences while upholding environmental conservation:

# Owner Jeff Bezos has defended Washington Post’s decision not to endorse an American presidential candidate. For decades, the editorial board, which is separate from the journalists who work there, has backed a prospective president. Bezos, who is also CEO of Amazon, argues that publishing an endorsement, a draft of which was reported to have recommended Kamala Harris, would undermine readers’ trust in the paper’s integrity. The decision has been met with ferocious backlash, with an estimated 200-thousand readers cancelling their subscriptions.

# Cricket: Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam says his team is determined to level the series against South Africa in the second and final Test which started in Chattogram this morning, after a crushing seven-wicket defeat in the opener. Taijul says their only goal is to win the match. The South Africans are eyeing a series clean sweep to propel them up the World Test Championship table. The Proteas are currently fifth in the standings and Bangladesh eighth. Stand-in Proteas captain Aiden Markram won the toss and South Africa is batting first.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-67-cents and the euro at 19-rand-11-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-977-dollars-44-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-754-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….