News 12:00

BULLETIN 2 September 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Meat importers and exporters are encouraged by the progress made in resolving the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
# Rugby: Rassie is only expected to name his squad for the All Blacks clash on Thursday
# And the University of Pretoria will confer 169 doctorates during its spring graduation ceremonies this week

# The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters says Agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, recognises that the foot-and-mouth disease is a national emergency, and the progress made in resolving the outbreak is encouraging. There are currently 274 unresolved outbreaks in five provinces, of which 180 are in KwaZulu-Natal. AMIE CEO Imameleng Mothebe welcomes Steenhuisen’s procurement of additional vaccines and the establishment of an industry–government task team on animal disease prevention:

AfriForum has meanwhile expressed concern at the scale of cattle theft in the country. According to police statistics, more than 53-thousand-600 cattle were stolen nationwide in the 2024/25 financial year. Last week, a 34-year-old police member, who is part of the SAPS Stock Theft Unit, was arrested in Standerton, Mpumalanga, for allegedly stealing 450-thousand-rand worth of cattle. AfriForum’s Hennie Bekker says the public’s trust in the police and its stock theft unit has been undermined:

# The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment says fairness and transparency are non-negotiable in the allocation of fishing rights. The department has extended permits for catching small pelagic fish, such as anchovies and sardines, to the 30th of October. The extension is due to pending court outcomes relating to the finalisation of appeals in the 2021/22 Fishing Rights Allocation Process for the small pelagic sector. Minister Dion George says they must resolve all legal matters before finalising decisions that affect rightsholders and the sustainability of the sector.

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is only expected to name his squad for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks in Auckland on Thursday. He is still waiting on news on injured captain Siya Kolisi and veteran Willie le Roux, while experienced scrumhalf Faf de Klerk was called up to New Zealand after hooker Bongi Mbonambi opted to stay at home to attend to family matters. Erasmus says they are not quite sure what the All Blacks will put out:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-71-cents and the euro at 20-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-219-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-477-dollars-21-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The University of Pretoria will confer 169 doctoral degrees during its spring graduation ceremonies at the Hillcrest campus this week. In total, more than two-thousand-100 students will be capped and robed. Alongside the doctoral graduates, the university will also award 494 masters degrees, 460 honours degrees, 392 postgraduate diplomas, 355 bachelor’s degrees, and 237 advanced diplomas and certificates. Chancellor Justice Sisi Khampepe says graduations are a testament to the institution’s long-standing tradition of academic excellence.

Stay tuned for more news………….