News 12:00

BULLETIN 19 September 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Stats SA faces a 21-percent vacancy rate amid budget cuts and a staff exodus
# Cosatu urges the Reserve Bank to lower the rates amid eased inflation
# And Rugby: The All Blacks team to face the Wallabies is named

# Statistics South Africa is grappling with a 21-percent vacancy rate due to budget constraints and a hiring freeze. Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke told Parliament’s standing committee on Appropriations that staff shortages, outdated technology, and survey delays including the decade-long pause on poverty data, are major concerns. He revealed that between 2016/2017 and 2021/2022, despite resignations, only one appointment was made due to a hiring freeze. Maluleke has requested for an additional 295-million-rand from the National Treasury over the next three years.

# Union federation Cosatu is urging the South African Reserve Bank to cut interest rates when the Monetary Policy Committee meets today. With inflation down to 4.4-percent and positive economic indicators, the federation believes a rate cut is necessary to stimulate the economy and provide much-needed relief. Cosatu’s Zanele Sabela argues workers enduring continued financial hardship need relief to help fight widespread poverty: 

# The ANC Gauteng leadership has reportedly been given another chance to convince the party why it should join a coalition with other parties to unseat the DA in Tshwane. ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza and chairperson Panyaza Lesufi presented their case to the national working committee but were sent back to the drawing board. The party is reportedly currently in talks with several parties, including ActionSA, the EFF and even the DA to broker a new power-sharing deal.

# The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for an end to the escalation in violence in the Middle East, saying all parties must exercise maximum restraint. This comes as explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies, belonging to the militant group Hezbollah, killed over 30 people and injured more than three-thousand across Lebanon in the past two days. Israel has been blamed for the attacks. Guterres says it is unacceptable that innocent civilians continue to be caught in the crossfire:

# Rugby: Prop Ethan de Groot, wing Caleb Clarke and fullback Beauden Barrett are back in the All Blacks starting fifteen for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney. Coach Scott Robertson has made four changes to the run on side. Will Jordan moves to the right wing pushing Sevu Reece to the reserves, with Barrett at fullback. The New Zealanders have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 and are favourites to retain the trophy again this year. Robertson is expecting a tough encounter:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-45-cents and the euro at 19-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-14-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-149-dollars-71-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-583-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-55-cents a barrel

Stay tuned for more news………….