Transcript

Good morning, and welcome to Just a Moment News. I’m Erika, and today is November 25, 2023. Let’s dive into today’s headlines.

First up, in a surprising turn of events, South Africa has pulled out of the bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The South African Football Association (SAFA) announced their decision, citing the challenging time frame for developing the bid. However, they expressed their commitment to bidding for the 2031 tournament instead. Despite the disappointment, SAFA remains dedicated to investing in women’s sports and producing a strong South African women’s team in the future.

Moving on, South Africa is facing severe power shortages, leading to Stage 6 load shedding. The situation is due to low diesel reserves, breakdowns of generating units, and the need to replenish emergency reserves. While there have been some improvements in generation capacity, the energy availability factor has declined, contributing to the crisis. The government is working on plans to reduce load shedding and address the underlying issues, but criticism from political parties highlights the failures in addressing generation shortfalls and broken promises regarding energy solutions.

Next, on Black Friday, one shopper in South Africa made a record-breaking purchase of R818,000. The transaction was for a travel package and was the highest single transaction in the retail sector. The Black Friday spending in the country has seen significant increases compared to previous years, with the highest consumer transaction surpassing previous records.

In cybersecurity news, TransUnion and Experian, two of South Africa’s largest credit bureaus, are facing threats from hackers who claim to have obtained sensitive financial and personal data of South Africans. The hackers are demanding a ransom of R1.1 billion from TransUnion and have given a 72-hour deadline before releasing the information. Both TransUnion and Experian have denied any evidence of a security breach but are taking the threats seriously and reviewing their systems for security.

In other news, Oscar Pistorius, the convicted murderer, has been granted parole by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board. Pistorius, who has served nearly 11 years for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will be released on January 5, 2024. The decision was made after reviewing his profile and considering his status as a first-time offender with a positive support system. Pistorius’ release on parole is part of the overall rehabilitation program.

Lastly, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in South Africa is seeking legal advice after one of its MPs, Glynnis Breytenbach, was targeted by a deepfake voice recording on TikTok. The recording falsely attributed to Breytenbach discussed implausible topics, raising concerns about AI-driven disinformation. The DA currently lacks a strategy to combat such disinformation, and experts emphasize the importance of credibility and swift response to address these issues.

That’s all for today’s headlines. Thank you for joining me on Just a Moment News. I’m Erika, and I’ll see you next time.

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