For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lynne Davies.

Making headlines: Unemployment rate decreases to 31.9%, DA demands tougher public service sanctions after State loses R1.5bn to financial misconduct and, nearly 400 operations cancelled in Gauteng public hospitals amid water shortages

Unemployment rate decreases to 31.9%

The official unemployment rate has decreased by 0.7 of a percentage point to 31.9% in the third quarter of the year.

This compares with the unemployment rate of 32.6% in the second quarter.

Statistics South Africa finds in its latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey that the number of employed persons increased by 399 000 to 16.7-million in the third quarter, compared with 16.3-million in the second quarter.

The number of unemployed persons decreased by 72 000 to 7.8-million during the quarter.

Additionally, the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 160 000 to 13.1-million, while discouraged work-seekers decreased by 26 000 in the third quarter, compared with the second quarter.

DA demands tougher public service sanctions after State loses R1.5bn to financial misconduct

The Democratic Alliance has appealed to the Department of Public Service and Administration to enact tougher sanctions against financial misconduct on the part of public servants and to standardise the disciplinary code on financial impropriety.

In a written reply to a DA parliamentary question, Minister of Public Service and Administration Noxolo Kiviet made the disclosure that there were 523 cases of financial misconduct by public servants reported in the 2021/22 financial year and this cost the State R1.5-billion.

Kiviet’s reply has also revealed that a Lieutenant Colonel in the Department of Defence only received a reprimand amid accusations of irregular expenditure to the amount of R8-million.

Further, two directors and deputy directors in the Department of Employment and Labour who lost R66-million owing to gross negligence were issued with final written warnings and kept their jobs, and a public servant in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition had their written warning withdrawn despite accusations of malfeasance amounting to R2-million.

Nearly 400 operations cancelled in Gauteng public hospitals amid water shortages

Water shortages have led to the cancellation of nearly 400 surgical operations in 16 Gauteng public hospitals in six months this year.

Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed this in the Gauteng legislature in a written reply to a question from the Democratic Alliance's Jack Bloom.

He had asked how many operations had to be cancelled or deferred because of water shortages, and which hospitals had experienced water challenges this year.

According to Nkomo-Ralehoko, Pholosong Hospital on the East Rand had the most cancelled operations.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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