News 15:00
BULLETIN 20 February 3 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The unemployment rate increased in the fourth quarter of 2023
# An inspecting judge says private prisons are a waste of taxpayers’ money
# And Soccer: Germany’s 1990 World Cup hero dies aged 63
# Statistics SA has announced that 22-thousand less people were employed in the fourth quarter of last year. The results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey indicate the official unemployment rate increased from 31.9-percent in the third quarter to 32.1-percent. Formal sector employment decreased, while informal sector employment increased. Industries that lost jobs include community and social services, construction, agriculture, trade, and manufacturing. Job losses were recorded in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, North West and the Northern Cape. The largest employment increase was recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Mpumalanga and the Western Cape.
# The inspecting judge for Correctional Services describes South Africa’s private prisons as spectacular failures and a waste of taxpayers’ money. Justice Edwin Cameron says Thabo Bester would’ve struggled to escape from a facility of Correctional Services. eNCA reports Cameron revealed Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein when he leaked a report stating the burnt body found in his cell was someone else’s. Cameron says G4S, who manages the prison, and the department should be held accountable for continued corruption and mismanagement.
# The DA in Gauteng is encouraging all parents and guardians to participate in the upcoming school governing body elections to contribute in ensuring their children have access to quality education. The elections will take place from 1 to 31 March. The DA’s Sergio Isa dos Santos says the bodies play a pivotal role in the administration of schools, overseeing day-to-day management and contributing to decisions on crucial policies such as admissions and language preference criteria:
# Department of International Relations and Cooperation acting chief state law adviser, Pieter Andreas Stemmet says South Africa steadfastly champions the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination. He echoed the United Nations’ formal recognition of Palestinians’ inherent right to determine their political status. South Africa and other countries presented arguments against Israel’s occupation at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Citing well-documented violations, Stemmet holds Israel accountable for apartheid, stressing the universal applicability of the prohibition:
# Soccer: The player who scored Germany’s winning goal in the 1990 World Cup final has died. Andreas Brehme was 63. The left-back converted a penalty in the 85th minute against Argentina in Rome to give Germany a 1-nil victory. He represented his country 86 times and also won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern, as well as Italy’s Serie A with Inter Milan. His death, ascribed to cardiac arrest, comes just a month after that of Germany’s coach during the 1990 World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-1-cent and the euro at 20-rand-52-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 52-thousand-343-dollars-45-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-25-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-90-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….