News 11:00

BULLETIN 15 July 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa says the engagement with Amazon SA has reinforced confidence in the country’s investment environment
# The acting police commissioner appoints a team to probe the murder of March and March’s Gauteng leader
# And rugby: The Springbok assistant coach is wary of a desperate Wales

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says by partnering with investors in technology and innovation, government is working to strengthen digital infrastructure, develop future-ready skills, and support entrepreneurship. He met with the executive team of Amazon South Africa, including senior vice president, David Zapolsky, yesterday. Amazon has invested more than 54-billion-rand in the country over the last decade, spanning cloud infrastructure, e-commerce, logistics, renewable energy, and skills development. Ramaphosa says the engagement reinforced confidence in the country’s investment environment and long-term economic potential.

# The EFF has criticised Parliament’s ad hoc committee’s preliminary draft report, describing it as whitewashed. The committee found no evidence of criminality against Police minister Senzo Mchunu, but raised serious governance and integrity concerns. It also found no evidence of criminal conduct against suspended deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and Investigating Directorate Against Corruption head, Andrea Johnson. The EFF’s Leigh-Ann Matthys calls for the report to be clear in its wording:

# Acting police commissioner, Puleng Dimpane, has assembled a multidisciplinary team to investigate the murder of March and March’s Gauteng leader, Andile Somgaxa. He was shot at his home in Johannesburg earlier this month. March and March led mass anti-illegal immigration demonstrations across the country on June 30th. Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the team tasked with investigating the case is comprised of seasoned detectives and crime intelligence officials:

Moving abroad:

# June saw the highest monthly number of civilians killed and injured in Ukraine since April 2022. According to the United Nations’ Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 293 civilians were killed and one-thousand-990 injured last month, taking the number of civilian deaths for the year to date to nearly one-thousand-400. The casualties are 37-percent higher than in June last year. The UN says civilian casualties from long-range weapons have increased by 60-percent from January to June when compared with the same period last year.

# Rugby: Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids has warned about the threat Wales could pose on Saturday with their backs against the wall in the Nations Championship. South Africa beat England and Scotland, while Wales began their campaign with a victory over Fiji, but lost to Argentina. When the two sides met in November, Wales suffered their heaviest-ever home defeat in a 73-0 humiliation. Davids says Wales is still a very competitive team:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-37-cents and the euro at 18-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-729-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-29-dollars-83-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….