News 13:00

BULLETIN 15 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa steps up its Ebola preparedness despite no confirmed cases
# The death toll in the winter initiation season rises to 43
# And soccer: The DA has intensified its scrutiny of minister McKenzie’s World Cup expenditure

# The Department of Health says science, not fear, is guiding South Africa’s preparations for a possible Ebola outbreak. Although no cases have been confirmed locally, authorities are strengthening surveillance and response measures as outbreaks continue in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says 12 private and 24 public hospitals have been designated to manage suspected cases. He says Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and not through the air.

# The death toll during the winter initiation season has risen to 43. Authorities say 58 illegal initiation schools have been shut down and 40 people were arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown. Government has urged parents and communities to ensure initiates attend only registered schools that comply with health and safety standards. Officials say enforcement operations will continue throughout the season to prevent further deaths, while investigations into the fatalities and alleged illegal practices remain underway.

# The Free Market Foundation says the High Court in Pretoria’s ruling in the case of a family-run Pretoria law firm, Len Dekker Attorneys, versus the Financial Intelligence Centre reaffirmed the rule of law. The court’s found the centre exceeded its powers by imposing penalties on the law firm for a period before it had legal authority to do so. The foundation’s Brian Benfield says the judgment highlights the need for proportionate, evidence-based enforcement, within the confines of the law.

# Forum for South Africa says South Africans are not interested only in comparisons of costs at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme; they want to see tangible results. The total outstanding debt burden across the post-school education system stands at 59-billion-rand, of which NSFAS-funded students account for 29-billion-rand. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says government action needs to translate into better service delivery, clean audits, accountability and efficient support for students:

# Soccer: The DA demands that minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, account before Parliament for his department’s expenditure on the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada. It has spent an estimated 31-million-rand on its delegation and programmes tied to the tournament. The DA’s Leah Potgieter says over the course of McKenzie’s tenure, a common theme has emerged of misleading promises, irrational decisions and a lack of accountability:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-35-cents and the euro at 18-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-810-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-29-dollars-75-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-20-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….