News 11:00

BULLETIN 7th October 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Business Leadership SA says South Africa must pursue alternative trade relations
# Scopa’s Road Accident Fund inquiry commences
# And the UN chief says a just and lasting peace in Israel and Gaza is desperately needed

# Business Leadership SA says government must aggressively pursue alternative trade partnerships through BRICS and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. This follows the expiry of the US preferential trade framework, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, on September 30th. However, Trade, Industry, and Competition minister Parks Tau has expressed confidence that a renewal is imminent. South Africa accounted for 54-percent of all AGOA exports to the US. BLSA CEO Busiswe Mavuso says an accelerated reform agenda can significantly lessen the negative effects of AGOA’s end.

# Parliament’s standing committee on Public Accounts will begin its inquiry into the Road Accident Fund’s financial affairs today. Chairperson Songezo Zibi says the probe will examine unpaid claims, wasteful expenditure, corruption allegations, and irregular procurement. The inquiry follows months of unreliable or missing RAF information. Zibi confirmed the inquiry will run until mid-November, with a final report expected to be tabled before the National Assembly by December:

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has vowed to root out ghost workers at the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in North West. Hlabisa says those fraudulently drawing salaries will be prosecuted. He says the team deployed has a clear mandate to fix Ditsobotla and end the practice once and for all, warning that officials authorising such payments will face consequences:

Moving abroad:

# United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, says a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace. Today is the second anniversary of the Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel, which left one-thousand-200 people dead, while 251 were taken hostage. It is estimated that 48 hostages remain captive. In response, Israel launched military operations in Gaza, which has resulted in over 67-thousand Palestinians being killed so far. Guterres says after two years of trauma, parties must choose hope.

# Rugby: The Stormers will be without Springbok tighthead Neethling Fouché for the foreseeable future after he broke his arm in Friday’s United Rugby Championship match against Ospreys in Cape Town. Another Bok prop, Frans Malherbe, is still recovering from a troublesome back injury. Coach John Dobson says the good news is that their Bok backline players Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian de Allende and Cobus Reinach should join them soon after clinching the Rugby Championship. The Stormers are currently second on the log behind the Bulls.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-22-cents and the euro at 20-rand-11-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-14-cents and Bitcoin trades at 124-thousand-34-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-954-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-52-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….