News 11:00

BULLETIN 15 November 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# S&P upgrades South Africa for the first time in nearly 20 years
# SAFTU welcomes the crackdown on the construction mafia
# And cricket: An Indian teenager smashes a second T20 century before turning 15

# South Africa on Friday secured its first credit rating upgrade in nearly 20 years after S&P Global raised the country’s foreign-currency long-term sovereign rating to BB from BB-minus. The agency cited stronger growth prospects, an improving fiscal outlook, and reduced contingent liabilities following better performance at state power utility Eskom. This week’s mid-term budget review showed debt to GDP stabilising at 77.9-percent this financial year. Fiscal revenue has beaten budget targets early in fiscal 2025, and the agency sees successive years of primary surpluses and continued fiscal consolidation through 2028.

# The South African Federation of Trade Unions has welcomed the significant progress made by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in cracking down on the construction mafia. Minister Dean Macpherson earlier announced that since the government’s coordinated response began in November 2024, there have been 770 reported cases of construction-related extortion and intimidation across the country. SAFTU’s Asive Dyani says 241 arrests were made and 176 individuals convicted relating to those cases:

# Energy regulator, Nersa, has gazetted new rules for tribunal proceedings to improve oversight of the energy sector. The rules set out how the regulator will handle non-compliance by licensees in electricity, gas, and petroleum pipelines. This includes issuing compliance notices, adjudicating breaches, and imposing fines. Nersa’s Charles Hlebela says the tribunal rules will enhance regulation by ensuring enforcement actions are transparent, fair, and guided by a clear legal framework:

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape says all fires have been contained in the Montagu area, with one line remaining active in DeDoorns. The municipality’s spokesperson, Jo-Anne Otto, says after more than a week of intensive firefighting, the fire near Montagu has now been contained. She says smouldering tree stumps and hotspots will require extensive mopping up before the area can be declared fully safe:

# And sports news:

# Cricket: Indian teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed a breathtaking 144 runs off 42 balls as his second T20 century powered India A to a mammoth 148-run victory against the United Arab Emirates in Doha on Friday. The 14-year-old smashed eleven fours and 15 sixes with 134 of his runs through fours and sixes alone. Suryavanshi shot to fame in the Indian Premier League this year when he became the youngest player to bring up a century in men’s T20 cricket. He has now etched his name into cricket history as the youngest player to hit a century for a men’s national team.

# And soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo is in danger of missing at least Portugal’s opening match at next year’s World Cup after being shown a red card in Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland. He was initially shown a yellow card after elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea during the match in Dublin. However, it was upgraded to a red card, and Ronaldo was sent off for the first time in his international career after the contact was reviewed by the referee. FIFA disciplinary rules call for a ban of at least two matches for serious foul play and for at least three for violent conduct.  

Stay tuned for more news………….