News 17:00

BULLETIN 3 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A trio is sentenced for a brutal farm attack in East London
# Eskom pushes solar users to register or face penalties
# And rugby: Wales hopes for a Test victory over Japan after 17 straight losses

# The High Court in East London has sentenced three people for a 2024 farm attack at Lorain Farm in Bluewater. The men were convicted of kidnapping, attempted murder, and robbery. The attackers tortured the farm owner to force him to hand over the keys to a safe. The NPA’s Luxolo Tyali says the stolen items were worth over 2.2-million-rand:

# Employment and Labour minister Nomakhosazana Meth says her department aims to create two-million jobs by 2030 through a coordinated national employment plan. Presenting the budget in Parliament, Meth said the four-billion-rand allocation will support job creation initiatives, skills development, and public employment programmes. She adds the Unemployment Insurance Fund will manage 38-billion-rand, aiming to create 240-thousand jobs this year, especially for youth, women, and people with disabilities:

# Eskom is warning South Africans with grid-tied solar systems to register with the Small-Scale Embedded Generation programme by March next year, or face disconnection and penalties. Speaking to Daily Investor, energy expert Vally Padayachee confirmed that Eskom plans a surcharge, even for registered solar users, to cover grid maintenance. Padayachee also said Eskom plans to increase fixed daily network charges under its Retail Tariff Plan, affecting solar users who rely on the grid as backup. He says compliance is crucial to ensure grid stability and fair infrastructure costs for all users.

# SANParks says flying drones in the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga and Limpopo is strictly prohibited under the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act. They warn that unauthorised drone use can disturb wildlife and ruin the experience for other visitors. Anyone caught flying a drone without permission will be arrested and their equipment confiscated. SANParks urges the public to report illegal drone activity to its emergency numbers.

# Rugby: Wales will go all out for their first Test victory after 17 straight losses when they play Japan in Kitakyushu on Saturday. Flanker Josh Macleod returns after almost three years and was included in the starting team. Hooker Dewi Lake will captain the side, with replacement hooker Liam Belcher the only uncapped player in the group. Flyhalf Sam Costelow is back after missing the Six Nations due to injury. Stand-in coach Matt Sherratt expects an 80-minute performance from his players in hot, humid conditions.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-53-cents and the euro at 20-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 109-thousand-706-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-333-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….