News 11:00

BULLETIN 21 November 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Hawks boss admits the exodus of staff is affecting cases
# The US vetoes another UN Security Council resolution on Gaza
# And soccer: Bafana’s coach believes they can qualify for the World Cup

# Hawks boss Godfrey Lebeya says the exodus of staff, especially investigators trained in serious financial crimes, has affected cases. From the first of November, the Hawks have lost 33 members who have been appointed elsewhere or promoted. Lebeya says based on Special Investigating Unit referrals, three-thousand-139 cases are pending in court, and a further eight-thousand-220 cases are still under active investigation:

# Department of Human Settlements director-general, Alec Moemi, has described the existing instruments to prevent illegal occupations as overburdensome and rigid. According to the department, the number of informal settlements in the country has risen from three-thousand-583 in 2021/’22 to four-thousand-and-75 in 2024/’25. Moemi says they are reviewing several legislations including the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act. He says the review will put the department in a better position to proactively prevent illegal occupation from occurring.

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Social Development has welcomed a court order instructing the Gauteng Department of Social Development to resolve funding challenges of non-profit organisations. The department was litigated by the Gauteng Care Crisis Committee after a decision to terminate funding of some NPOs. Committee chairperson, Bridget Masango, says this resulted in some of the organisations closing their doors to the detriment of service users:

# The US has for the fourth time vetoed a United Nations Security Council draft resolution that demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The war broke out in October last year after Hamas gunmen attacked Israel, killing about one-thousand-200 people, and taking 253 hostages. In retaliation, Israel has killed more than 43-thousand-920 people in Gaza. Deputy US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, says they cannot support an unconditional ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages:

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes his charges can be competitive in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, and also have a chance to qualify for the next World Cup. South Africa ended their qualifying for Afcon 2025 undefeated when they beat South Sudan 3-nil in Cape Town on Tuesday. Bafana tops Group K and will advance to Morocco together with Uganda. Broos says they now have a good chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup since they have a quality team.  

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-12-cents and the euro at 19-rand-11-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-95-dollars-6-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-661-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….