News 13:00

BULLETIN 3 November 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Union of Mineworkers  demands a 15-percent wage increase for Eskom employees]
# The DA is calling for a probe into Armscor’s 500-million-rand troop carrier tender
# And Donald Trump believes Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro’s days are numbered

# The National Union of Mineworkers says it remains uncompromised in securing substantial and justifiable wage increases for all members in the face of the crippling high cost of living. The union is demanding a 15-percent wage increase for Eskom employees. NUM spokesperson, Livhuwani Mammburu, says Eskom and government must understand the unbundling of the entity must not be used to unbundle workers’ unity and collective bargaining rights:

# South Africa’s largest private school group, Curro Holdings, is awaiting approval from the Competition Commission and the JSE to delist after shareholders have accepted a 7.2-billion-rand buyout offer from the foundation of billionaire philanthropist Jannie Mouton. The transaction is expected to be completed by year-end, whereafter Curro will be transformed into a non-profit organisation. The group, founded in 1998, has over 180 campuses and more than 70-thousand learners. The foundation aims to prioritise long-term societal impact over short-term profits, potentially unlocking bursaries for thousands of underprivileged children.

# The DA is calling for a full investigation into the state-owned arms procurement agency Armscor’s handling of a 500-million-rand personnel carrier tender. The tender is to supply the South African National Defence Force with 462 armoured personnel carriers for counterinsurgency border patrols. The DA’s Chris Hattingh says it has become clear that the evaluation process was compromised when field trials, required to verify vehicle performance, were cancelled without explanation:

Moving abroad:

# US president Donald Trump says Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro’s days are numbered. At least 64 people have been killed by US strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September. Maduro, who faces indictment on drug charges in America, has accused Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for imposing regime change to seize Venezuelan oil. Talking to CBS News, Trump rejected suggestions that US action was not about stopping narcotics, but about ousting Maduro:

# Rugby: England replaced France in fourth place in the world rankings after Saturday’s 25-7 victory over the Wallabies at Twickenham. France didn’t play this weekend. The Springboks are still on top of the world, followed by the All Blacks, who beat third-placed Ireland 26-13 in Chicago in the US. Argentina is sixth, Australia seventh, Scotland eighth, Fiji ninth and Italy tenth. This month’s Test results are particularly important because the draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia takes place early next month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-27-cents and the euro at 19-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-69-cents and Bitcoin trades at 107-thousand-358-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-two-dollars-75-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….