News 14:00

BULLETIN 22 September 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Aucamp says the private sector will help to produce a local foot-and-mouth disease vaccine
# Rugby: Esterhuizen will lead the Springboks against Australia
# And an economist says the Russian-Ukrainian war is driving the October fuel price surge

# Agriculture minister Willie Aucamp says qualifying private companies will be allowed to use the Agricultural Research Council’s intellectual property to manufacture its foot-and-mouth disease vaccine at scale. The council’s board unanimously agreed to the permission. It says its vaccine is effective against local strains with one annual dose, but it cannot manufacture at scale. Aucamp says the partnership is a decisive breakthrough to safeguard livestock and secure food supply:

# The South African Women in Construction and Built Environment strongly condemns any form of intimidation, harassment, threats or abuse directed at women. This comes after Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama was caught on camera threatening a group of women who rejected his advances at an upmarket restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg. He handed himself over to police and was released on a warning. The organisation is calling on the relevant government institutions to provide clarity on the contracts awarded by the road agency SANRAL and public entities to companies associated with Mudzinganyama.

# The Board of Healthcare Funders supports the objective of keeping medical scheme contribution increases as low as possible, but says this cannot be achieved through contribution guidance alone. The Council for Medical Schemes recommended that contribution increases for the 2027 benefit year be anchored at 3.8-percent. BHF’s managing director, Katlego Mothudi, says healthcare providers and large hospital groups are effectively price setters, while medical schemes, and their members, are price takers:

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes to his starting team for Sunday’s one-off Test against Australia in Perth. Centre André Esterhuizen will lead the team, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their places from the final Test against the All Blacks. The new front row consists of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Zachary Porthen, and Johan Grobbelaar, while Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw, and Marco van Staden comprise the forward pack. Herschel Jantjies and Handré will be the half-back pairing.

# Financial news: Economist Thabi Leoka says South African motorists face record fuel prices next month. Central Energy Fund figures show 95 unleaded petrol’s price could surge by two-rand-78 to 29-rand-70 a litre, eclipsing June’s record of 28-rand-6-cents. Diesel wholesale prices could hit 33-rand-5-cents, up three-rand, driven by Russian-Ukrainian war disruptions. Leoka warns higher transport costs will squeeze disposable incomes and fuel inflation, with Brent crude expected to fluctuate hugely amid volatility.

The dollar currently trades at 16-rand-22-cents and the euro at 18-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-69-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-987-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-329-dollars-31-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….