News 15:00

BULLETIN 13 November 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Government gazettes a draft by-law to improve food safety
# The Gauteng Education Department delays promotions for teachers until April
# And soccer: The head coach and assistants of Canada’s women’s team are fired over a drone scandal at the Olympics

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, announced that government has gazetted a new draft by-law to regulate township economies and improve food safety. This follows the deaths of children in several provinces from foodborne illnesses, including six children in Naledi, Soweto who died after eating snacks contaminated with the highly toxic chemical organophosphate, Terbufos. Ntshavheni told the media the by-law sets clear standards for township businesses, ensuring better food safety and accountability: 

# The Gauteng Education Department has delayed appointments for teachers, who applied to be promoted as heads of department, deputy principals and principals, until April next year. This is due to budget constraints. Provinces including the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape are facing similar funding challenges. Gauteng Education Department’s head, Rufus Mmutlana, told News24 the current budget constraints have significantly impacted the department’s compensation of employees budget, and the ability to implement new appointments within the 2024/’25 financial year.

# ActionSA has welcomed the groundbreaking Supreme Court of Appeal’s Schippers judgement, which now empowers government to reclaim funds stolen through the abuse of the Municipal Finance Management Act, Public Finance Management Act, and Supply Chain Management regulations. ActionSA’s Matthew George says this landmark ruling marks a crucial step in holding to account those who engaged in state capture and the extensive corruption that has plagued the country for the past fourteen years:

# Russia has asked Israel to avoid launching aerial strikes as part of its war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah near one of Moscow’s bases in Syria. Syrian state media claimed in mid-October that Israel had struck the port city of Latakia, a stronghold of president Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia and in turn backs Hezbollah. Latakia, and in particular its airport, is close to the town of Hmeimim that hosts a Russian air base. Israel accuses Hezbollah of transporting weapons through Syria.

 # Soccer: Canada’s governing body announced the head coach of the national women’s team, Bev Priestman, and her two assistants won’t return to their roles after the drone scandal during the Olympic Games in Paris. Canada Soccer released a report on the investigation into the use of a drone to film New Zealand’s closed practices before the match between the two countries. World governing body Fifa suspended Priestman, Jasmine Mander and Joey Lombardi for a year. The search for a new head coach will start soon.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-1-cent and the euro at 19-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-95-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-985-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-609-dollars-75-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-64-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….