News 17:00

BULLETIN 23 October 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Real Reform for ECD is urging government to increase early childhood development investment
# Minister Chikunga launches a positive masculinity campaign in Mpumalanga
# And: COSATU in Gauteng condemns the alleged rape of a nine-year-old learner in Soweto

# Real Reform for ECD has called on the government to increase funding for early childhood development, saying under-investment in early childhood is a choice, one with disastrous consequences for children. In the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana allocated funding for maternal and child nutrition and additional social workers. The organisation’s Claire Rankin highlights the economic benefits of investing in early childhood development, noting that quality programmes for disadvantaged children have delivered lifetime returns of 13.7-percent a year:

# Minister in the Presidency Sindisiwe Chikunga has led a one-kilometre awareness walk in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, amid the launch of the Positive Masculinity Campaign. Under the theme “Real Men and Boys Build, Protect and Transform”, the initiative encourages men and boys to respect women and girls and help prevent gender-based violence and femicide. Mpumalanga Community Safety MEC Jackie Macie says provinces must use available resources to fight gender-based violence: 

# Union federation COSATU in Gauteng has strongly condemned the alleged rape of a nine-year-old Grade 4 learner by an educator at Busisiwe Primary School in Zola, Soweto. The accused educator handed himself over to the police on Wednesday and made his first appearance at the Protea Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where the matter was postponed to next Thursday for a bail hearing. The accused remains in custody. COSATU’s Gauteng chairperson Amos Monyela says schools need to be safe places where children are protected:

# Taiwan has shut schools, offices and financial markets as Typhoon Champi brings powerful winds and torrential rain. Nearly one-thousand flights have been cancelled, while one person has been killed and more than 160 injured. Authorities have evacuated more than two-thousand-600 people from mountainous areas, and more than 77-thousand homes have lost electricity, although power has been restored to most. The storm is weakening but could still make landfall, with forecasters warning of severe weather and possible flooding. Champi is expected to move towards China and southern Japan.

# Motorsport: British teenager Freddie Slater will get his first official chance in a Formula One car during the opening practice for next month’s Mexican Grand Prix. The 18-year-old participates in Audi’s driver development programme and ended third in his first Formula Three season this year. Slater is also expected to take part in practice at the Grand Prix in Brazil early next year. Audi’s racing director, Allan McNish, believes these experiences will give Slater valuable drivetime before participating in Formula Two next season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-57-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-610-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-27-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 115-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….