News 12:00

BULLETIN 21 October 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eighty health inspectors are probing the spate of food poisoning cases in Gauteng
# The DA in Gauteng says Social Development’s former head of department is rewarded with a top job at the Presidency despite graft allegations
# And cricket: The Proteas captain says they were outplayed in the Women’s T20 World Cup final

# The Health Department has deployed a team of 80 environmental health inspectors to Soweto to search for chemicals believed to be behind a spate of food poisoning incidents. Gauteng has seen a series of food poisoning incidents, which led to the death of six children in Soweto. The children reported buying snacks from a spaza shop. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says the inspectors have undergone training and begin their work today:

# The DA in Gauteng says former head of the Department of Social Development, Shoki Tshabalala, is now working as the deputy-director-general for the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disability despite being implicated in maladministration and corruption. The DA’s Refiloe Nt’sekhe says Tshabalala’s previous bosses did not do their job of ensuring she was referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for criminal investigation:

# Israeli Foreign minister, Israel Katz, says they will pursue diplomatic and legal action against France. This is over France’s decision to ban Israeli companies whose weapons are being used in Gaza and Lebanon from participating in a top naval warfare trade fair next month. Katz described the boycott as an anti-democratic measure that was not acceptable, especially between friendly nations. This comes as the French president, Emmanuel Macron, last month called for an arms embargo on Israel.

# Cricket: Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt admits they were outplayed by New Zealand in yesterday’s Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai. The White Ferns won by 32 runs, inflicting a second successive defeat in a final on South Africa. New Zealand posted 158 for five in their 20 overs with Amelia Kerr top-scoring with 43. In reply, the Proteas were restricted to 126 for nine. Wolvaardt says they did not play their best cricket against a quality opponent:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-55-cents and the euro at 19-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-579-dollars-77-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-731-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

# And finally: To date South Africa has over seven-thousand megawatts of renewable energy connected to the grid and over 20 gigawatts that are still going to be added. This is according to the director-general of Mineral Resources and Energy, Jacob Mbele. Increases in renewable energy capacity additions hit an all-time high of 33-percent last year. It also had the highest additions in sub-Saharan Africa with nearly 40-percent of the region’s new capacity. Mbele says the country must continue to explore, develop, and produce natural resources.

Stay tuned for more news………….