News 16:00

BULLETIN 23 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Government rules out extending the child support grant for learners
# The UDM says service delivery protests are a frequent occurrence in South Africa 
# And rugby: The Crusaders’ CEO denies the new coach will be fired after a horrible season 

# Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu has reiterated government will not extend the child support grant to learners still at school. This contradicts former minister Bathabile Dlamini’s 2015 statement suggesting such an extension. Zulu clarifies while learners aged 18 and above will no longer receive the grant, they can apply for the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant. She also mentions the National Integration Social Protection System programme, linking child support grant beneficiaries to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme for higher education funding if desired.

# The UDM says service delivery protests have become a frequent occurrence in South Africa, particularly in under-served communities, and are now deeply ingrained in the societal fabric. The escalation of protests can have severe economic consequences, including the destruction of infrastructure and property, disruptions to supply chains, and loss of investor confidence. Secretary-general Yongama Zigebe says given the potential for protests to spiral out of control, proactive measures must be implemented to prevent escalation and mitigate the risk of violence:

# The DA has revealed that Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Gauteng amassed 210,7-million-rand in medical accruals to 357 suppliers last year. Of these claims, more than half are outstanding beyond two months and more than a fifth beyond four months. The DA’s Michele Clarke says this is shocking, considering that Baragwanath is the largest hospital in Africa and serves more than 1.5-million people in the greater Soweto area:

# Rugby: The Crusaders denied rumours new coach, Rob Penney, faces the axe after the team could win only one of its eight Super Rugby matches so far this season. The seven-time champion is a far cry from the team that dominated the competition under previous head coach Scott Robertson, who moved to the All Blacks after the World Cup. CEO Colin Mansbridge describes calls for Penney’s dismissal as childish, saying it doesn’t make sense at this stage. Penney was sacked as coach of the Waratahs in 2021.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-24-cents and the euro at 20-rand-54-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-36-dollars-51-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-305-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Health Minister Joe Phaahla revealed that there are over two-thousand unclaimed bodies in government mortuaries across the country. Responding to a parliamentary question, the minister said KwaZulu-Natal reported the highest number of unclaimed bodies. The department explained that the lengthy identification process involving police assistance extends from seven days to a year before pauper burial is declared. Timely identification is urged to alleviate the delay of fingerprint verification and collaborative efforts with law enforcement.

Stay tuned for more news………….