News 16:00

BULLETIN 25 September 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Justice minister Thembi Simelane is to face the ANC’s Integrity Committee over the VBS loan allegations
# The Basic Education minister says corruption and economic stagnation are major contributors to the education budget shortfall
# And tennis: Carlos Alcaraz says lots of players agree that the current schedule is untenable

# The ANC has confirmed that Justice minister Thembi Simelane is set to appear before the Integrity Committee today to address allegations linked to the VBS Mutual Bank loan. The scrutiny arises from a 575-thousand-rand loan she received from Gundo Wealth Solutions while serving as Polokwane mayor. Simelane has maintained that she did nothing untoward when seeking the loan, which she intended to use to buy a coffee shop in Sandton. The session will be held virtually and is not open to the public.

# Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, says corruption and economic stagnation are key contributors to the education sector’s budget shortfall. According to the minister, years of mismanagement, wasteful expenditure, and below-target economic growth have severely impacted funding for public services like education. Briefing the media on developments on budget cuts in the education sector, Gwarube called for stronger economic policies and anti-corruption measures to secure the future of education: 

# Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has outlined strategies to reduce serious adverse events in health facilities. Spokesperson Motalatale Modiba says this includes patient safety, mandatory 24-hour reporting, specialised training, routine risk assessments, and awareness campaigns. He noted a decrease in these events from seven-thousand-117 in 2023 to two-thousand-273 reported in 2024 with 29 officials facing disciplinary action:

# Pension payments in South Africa declined in real terms during the first eight months of 2024, while take-home pay increased. The BankservAfrica Private Pensions Index showed a 1.0-percent drop in real pension value, despite a nominal increase. Meanwhile, the BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index indicated a 6.7-percent rise in nominal salaries, with real pay up by 1.9-percent. Factors such as inflation moderation, the government of national unity’s reforms, and interest rate cuts have contributed to improved purchasing power, providing relief to households, and supporting consumer spending.

# Tennis: Spanish ace Carlos Alcaraz says lots of players agree with him that the current schedule is untenable. He said during the Laver Cup the demands of the calender was going to kill the game. The 21-year old winner of four Grand Slam tournaments is playing in his 15th tournament of the year, the China Open, this week, and says they have to do something about the hectic schedule. But world number one, Jannik Sinner of Italy, says players can choose what to play and what not.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-14-cents and the euro at 19-rand-19-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-762-dollars-90-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-658-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-69-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….