News 17:00

BULLETIN 3 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A bus accident in the Western Cape claims ten lives
# Government implements a policy to reassign suspended officials during investigations
# And, rugby: Daan Human says the All Blacks’ scrum is one of the best in the game

# The Western Cape government has confirmed ten constructon workers were killed and 12 seriously injured in a bus accident in Van Rhyns Pass on the border with the Northern Cape last night. The bus was carrying construction workers to Ceres in the Boland when it veered off the road. The MEC for Mobility, Isaac Sileku, says police are investigating the accident. He says support services, including trauma counseling, are being coordinated for the victims and their families.

# Suspended government officials will no longer stay home on full pay. Public Service and Administration minister Mzamo Buthelezi says instead, they will be transferred to other departments or units to utilise their skills while investigations continue. The new directive aims to ensure timely disciplinary hearings and reduce prolonged suspensions. The ministers says this move is part of broader efforts to combat corruption, with 53-percent of long-overdue suspension cases resolved in selected departments:

# The ANC Youth League has labelled South Africa’s unemployment crisis a national disaster, warning of potential youth unrest if not urgently addressed. The league’s leader, Collen Malatji, says that with over 70-percent of the nation’s youth unemployed, the league calls for increased investment in capital infrastructure, stronger public policies, and a focus on industrialisation to create job opportunities:

# Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa chief engineer Daniel Mtimkulu has been sentenced to 15-years in prison by the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court in Gauteng for fraud. Mtimkulu was found guilty of falsifying his engineering qualifications and submitting a fake job offer from a German company to secure a salary increase. The court’s sentencing consolidates his multiple fraud charges into a 15-year term. The Asset Forfeiture Unit has also seized over 5.5-million-rand from his properties to reimburse Prasa for his fraudulently obtained salary. 

# Rugby: Springboks scrum coach Daan Human says the All Blacks’ scrum is one of the best in the game. The Boks dominated scrum-time against Australia in their first two Rugby Championship Tests, but was not as dominant against New Zealand at Ellis Park. South Africa did manage to get a couple of scrum penalties later in the game against the All Blacks, but Human says there is room for improvement in the Springbok pack:

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-90-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-53-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-185-dollars-83-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-491-dollars-87-cent a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….