News 13:00

BULLETIN 22 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa reaffirms his commitment to the government of national unity’s strategic priorities
# Higher Education is criticised for returning 580-million-rand to Treasury instead of funding students
# And, Olympics : Dupont leads the French charge for sevens rugby gold in Paris

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government of national unity is dedicated to its strategic alignment of priorities. These include inclusive growth, job creation, reducing poverty, tackling the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state. Responding to the debate on his opening address of the seventh Parliament, Ramaphosa said inclusive economic growth is central to the national agenda:

# The Higher Education Department has been criticised for returning 580-million-rand to the National Treasury instead of funding students. This amount is believed to have been sufficient for the support of nine-thousand-and-71 students, whose annual household incomes are between 350- and 600-thousand-rand. Deputy minister Mimmy Gondwe cited underspending due to vacant posts, and urged reallocating funds for student debt and infrastructure upgrades. Experts lamented the lost opportunity to support higher education, calling it a tragedy amid sectoral budget cuts.

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, says it is important to ensure a balanced climate agenda that addresses issues critical to developing countries, and to pressure developed countries to fulfil their commitments. The minister is attending the eighth session of the ministerial on Climate Action in Wuhan, China, today and tomorrow. The department’s spokesperson, Peter Mbelengwa, says key issues related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be discussed:

# Rugby: French captain Antoine Dupont defied critics of his decision to miss the Six Nations tournament and focus on making the Olympic Sevens team. He is considered one of the best players ever and his presence at a home Games is a massive coup for the national team and the organisers. Dupont will make his Olympic debut in Pool C action against the United States and Uruguay on Wednesday, with the final pool game against Fiji and the quarterfinals a day later. The semifinals and final are scheduled for Saturday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-27-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-283-dollars-67-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-402-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the Consumer Goods and Services ombud has called on consumers to verify expiry dates on food products before buying. This follows numerous complaints about expired items in urban areas. CEO Queen Munyai highlights that rural consumers, often with limited choices, are especially vulnerable to deceptive practices. This includes putting stickers over Best Before dates or smudging expiry dates. She rallied support behind the National Consumer Commission’s efforts to combat the sale of expired goods and aims to empower consumers on their rights.

Stay tuned for more news………….