News 12:00

BULLETIN 30 Augsut 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa says Africa is central to South Africa’s foreign policy focus
# The Department of Health urges child immunisation amid rising rubella cases
# And rugby: Etzebeth zooms in on Matfield’s Springbok record of 127 caps

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised that Africa is at the core of South Africa’s foreign policy, focusing on strengthening the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union as peace instruments. He says South Africa is working on supporting conflict resolution in various countries. Ramaphosa highlights the importance of the BRICS Alliance, with key foreign policy pillars including peace, stability, and trade:

# ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has condemned the coordinated attacks from the DA and has affirmed that his party will forge ahead with a review of its working relationship within the Tshwane multi-party coalition. The party has joined forces with the ANC and EFF in a bid to vote out mayor Cilliers Brink through a motion of no confidence. Mashaba says they are an independent political party, with structures and internal processes that they will continue to adhere to, regardless of undue external interference.

# Rhodes University has suspended classes from today due to a prolonged water outage in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape. The institution has been without water since last week Friday. Vice-Chancellor Sizwe Mabizela says they have provided water via tankers to kitchens, residences, academic buildings and offices, but the situation has harmed its sustainability. He says they have escalated this matter to premier Oscar Mabuyane’s office.

# The Department of Health urges parents to ensure their children are up-to-date with vaccinations following an increase in rubella cases in Gauteng, the Western and the Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. The department is rolling out the measles-rubella vaccine, which is administered at six and 12 months. The department’s Foster Mohale advised parents to report suspected cases of rubella or measles and keep symptomatic children home from school until they recover:

# Rugby: Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is zooming in on Victor Matfield’s alltime Springbok record of 127 Tests. Etzebeth is currently in joint second place with Bryan Habana on 124 caps, and hopes to improve the record at the end of the current Rugby Championship. A knee niggle almost postponed his quest until the end of the year, but he recovered in time to play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park tomorrow. The 32-year-old Etzebeth made his debut for South Africa in 2012.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-63-cents and the euro at 19-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-26-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-418-dollars-15-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-524-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….