News 11:00

BULLETIN 16 July 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ATM accuses Ramaphosa of trying to avoid accountability with his Phala Phala court application
# The Public Investment Corporation welcomes the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s probe amid a governance crisis
# And soccer: Banyana Banyana’s coach faces tough decisions in selecting the final squad for WAFCON

# The African Transformation Movement says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s application to interdict the Section 89 impeachment process in the High Court falls short of the legal threshold to prove irreparable harm. Ramaphosa wants Parliament to stay its proceedings until the court has reviewed the Section 89 panel report into Phala Phala, which he believes is fatally flawed. ATM leader Vuyolwethu Zungula says it’s clear Ramaphosa is trying to avoid accountability:

# The Public Investment Corporation board has welcomed the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s investigation following a whistleblower report alleging unethical practices within the organisation. The FSCA has expressed concern about recent developments at the PIC, particularly those relating to governance and leadership stability. This follows the precautionary suspension of CEO Patrick Dlamini over allegations of impropriety. The board says it remains fully committed to cooperating with all regulators and ensuring that governance matters are addressed through independent, credible, and transparent processes.

# Union federation SAFTU has condemned the murder of March and March’s Gauteng leader, Andile Somgaxa, saying violence and political assassination have no place in a constitutional democracy. He died after being shot at his home in Greenfield, Johannesburg, earlier this month. SAFTU’s Asive Dyani says those who commit or facilitate political killings must not be allowed to escape accountability:

Moving abroad:

# Disgraced R&B singer R Kelly has filed a formal request asking US president Donald Trump to commute his 30-year prison sentence. The 59-year-old, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty in 2021 of leading a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual activity and pornography. In 2022, he was found guilty on three counts of child abuse images and three counts of child enticement. Kelly is serving his sentence in North Carolina and is not eligible for release until January 2046.

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana coach, Desiree Ellis, admits selecting the final squad for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has been tough. The final group of 26 will be announced tomorrow from a group of 31 attending a camp currently. South Africa had been drawn in Group B alongside Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania. Ellis says it’s important to select versatile players capable of filling multiple roles:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-31-cents and the euro at 18-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-669-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-28-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….