News 11:00

BULLETIN 31 October 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom is going to challenge NERSA’s approval of new trading licences
# Arnold Schwarzenegger endorses Harris while former astronaut Buzz Aldrin supports Trump
# And rugby: Two debutants are included in the Bok squad for the Africa Women’s Sevens

# Eskom says it will approach the courts to challenge the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s decision to issue four new electricity trading licenses. This is despite the power utility’s objections to allowing more than one licensee to provide electricity in the same area. The trading licenses went to Africa GreenCo, Green Electron Market, CBI Electric Apollo, and Discovery Green. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says this decision by Nersa infringes upon and breaches the energy regulator’s own rules:

# ActionSA says the 2024 mid-term budget fails to meet the government of national unity’s promises. Party representative Alan Beesley welcomed increased SARS funding, but criticized the 1.1-percent economic growth projection, saying it falls short of the needed three-percent. Beesley argues that government neglects economic stability, keeping a bloated cabinet while essential services like policing, healthcare, and education suffer. He labels the budget’s priorities as misplaced, calling for urgent focus on South Africa’s pressing challenges.

The African Transformation Movement meanwhile says it is deeply disappointed by the mid-term budget. ATM’s spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, says while acknowledging the challenges of revenue generation, Finance minister Enoch Godongwana failed to provide meaningful solutions to address this critical issue. He adds that government must adopt bold, transformative policies that prioritise revenue generation and job creation:

# Actor and former Republican governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the latest celebrity to endorse vice president Kamala Harris for next week’s American election. Schwarzenegger says if Donald Trump wins, then he will divide, insult, and find new ways to be more un-American. Meanwhile, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to ever walk on the moon, has endorsed Trump, praising his support of space exploration. Singer Nicky Jam has retracted his endorsement of the former president after a comedian insulted Puerto Rico at a Trump rally on Sunday.

# Rugby: Nompumelelo Mathe and Leigh Fortuin are in line to make their Springbok Women’s Sevens debuts at the Africa Women’s Sevens tournament in Ghana next weekend. The top three teams at the end of the tournament will qualify for the World Rugby Challenger Series. South Africa will face Burkina Faso in their opening match, before taking on Zimbabwe and Tunisia in Pool A. Head coach Renfred Dazel says Mathe and Fortuin made big impressions since they joined the training camp:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-63-cents and the euro at 19-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-192-dollars-40-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-780-dollars-39-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….