School sports ban in the North West under fire, and South Africa kissing over R7 billion goodbye
The South African rand remained relatively stable on Monday as traders anticipated upcoming local data releases that could provide insights into the health of Africa’s largest economy.
These releases include a leading business cycle indicator, the producer price index, and the central bank’s quarterly bulletin. The rand was trading at 17.33 against the dollar, close to Friday’s closing value.
The currency has remained steady since the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) decided last week to keep its main lending rate at 7%, taking a cautious approach even with consumer inflation appearing to be under control.
On Tuesday, 23 September, the rand was trading at R17.35 to the dollar, R23.44 to the pound and R20.36 to the Euro. Oil was trading slightly lower at $67.10 a barrel.
Here are five important things happening in and affecting South Africa today:
School sports ban: The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools has urged the North West education department to lift a ban on extracurricular activities in the fourth term. The federation’s provincial manager argues that this ban undermines students’ right to holistic education. As a result, the Wildeklawer Sports Athletics Event will occur on Tuesday and Wednesday in Potchefstroom. [News24]
Kissing R7 billion goodbye: South Africa’s chrome industry faces over R7 billion in losses due to government delays in enforcing export controls. Despite cabinet approval, illegal mining and smuggling continue, accounting for 10% of annual output. [Business Day]
Ramaphosa returns to the US: President Cyril Ramaphosa is in the US for the UN General Assembly, where he may confront President Trump on divisive issues. They are expected to discuss urgent matters, including the Palestine conflict, with world leaders. [Newsday]
Meet the new boss of DStv: David Mignot has been named CEO of Canal+ Africa, which has taken control of MultiChoice Group after meeting all regulatory requirements. A seasoned media and telecoms executive, Mignot has achieved significant success leading Canal+ in Francophone African markets. [MyBroadband]
JMPD scam warning: JMPD is warning about a recruitment scam for a “last chance physical assessment” at Ruimsig Athletics Stadium, misleadingly advertised on WhatsApp by someone named “T Kuduza.” The scam asks for payments to bypass recruitment stages, including R2,500 for a wall jump retry, R5,000 for the psychological test, and R7,000 for direct access to the interview. [EWN]
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