News 12:00

BULLETIN 30 October 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Koeberg’s unit 1 is successfully reconnected to the national grid
# The Red Cross says Hurricane Melissa is a disaster of unprecedented catastrophe
# And rugby: Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ ban is reduced by just one week after an appeal hearing

# Eskom says it has successfully reconnected unit one at the Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town to the national grid. The unit was shut early this year for the second phase of its long-term operation maintenance programme, a requirement of its 20-year life extension granted by the National Nuclear Regulator. Both units one and two are expected to provide over one-thousand-860-megawatts to the national grid. Eskom says this achievement reflects its commitment to the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the power plant.

Meanwhile, AfriForum says instead of regulating the energy sector and ensuring compliance with legislation, the National Energy Regulator is now taking advantage of municipalities. The High Court in Pretoria has reserved judgment in the organisation’s case against Nersa’s approval for the implementation of municipal electricity tariffs, without the use of proper cost studies and public participation processes. AfriForum’s Deidré Steffens says Nersa is now a lapdog rather than a watchdog when it comes to municipalities:

# The City of Tshwane’s Emergency Services Department is urging residents to remain vigilant, as heavy rains are expected across large parts of Gauteng today. The South African Weather Service has issued a yellow level two warning for severe thunderstorms. The emergency services’ spokesperson, Nana Radebe-Kgiba, says a 60-percent chance of rainfall is predicted, bringing with it strong winds:

Moving abroad:

# The Red Cross says early indications are that Hurricane Melissa caused a disaster of unprecedented catastrophe in the Caribbean. The British Red Cross’s Alexander Pendry says whole communities are reportedly underwater and the damage caused by strong winds has been devastating. Emergency teams have been mobilising across the region as Melissa continues its trajectory across Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Pendry explains the immediate priorities are search and rescue and ensuring people have access to healthcare, safe shelter, clean water, food and other essential supplies.

# Rugby: Springbok and Bulls prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has failed in his appeal to overturn a nine-week suspension, but has had his suspension reduced by one game. He was penalised after Connacht flanker Josh Murphy accused him of groping during a United Rugby Championship match two weeks ago. A URC appeal panel found the disciplinary panel erred in their nine-week suspension and did not take into account Wessels’ conduct. He will miss the Springboks’ end-of-year tour as well as the Bulls’ two Champions’ Cup matches against Bordeaux and Northampton.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-19-cents and the euro at 19-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-956-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-969-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….