News 09:00

BULLETIN 17 July 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# United Africans Transformation says Ramaphosa must face the impeachment process
# The World Health Organisation warns about the Ebola outbreak in the DRC
# And cricket: Markram and Wolvaardt scoop the top Cricket South Africa honours

# The United Africans Transformation says no president should be permitted to suspend Parliament’s constitutional work simply because the accountability process has become politically inconvenient. The Western Cape High Court this week heard arguments in president Cyril Ramaphosa’s interdict application, in which he is seeking to halt the commencement of the impeachment process against him. Judgment has been reserved. The UAT says the court needs to preserve the constitutional balance between the Judiciary and Parliament by allowing the Section 89 Committee to continue its work.

# Union federation Cosatu says delinquent employers, who fail to pay over contributions to pension funds, must be charged and prosecuted for the theft, fraud and corruption that this mass looting is. The latest Financial Sector Conduct Authority report indicates that by the end of February this year, the number of defaulting employers stood at 16-thousand-556. Cosatu’s spokesperson, Zanele Sabela, says total arrears have increased to 8.33-billion-rand, putting the financial futures of about 590-thousand workers at risk:

# The City of Johannesburg has secured a court order in the Gauteng High Court against Goldenrod Group, the owner of Marble Towers in the CBD. This stems from claims that illegal trading continued despite an earlier court order requiring the owner to secure the building. The mayor’s spokesperson, Khathutshelo Mulaudzi, says in terms of the order, Goldenrod is interdicted from continuing any installation of units, and from allowing anyone to occupy structures that do not comply with building regulations and fire safety requirements:

# The World Health Organisation is warning that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading faster than any previous one during the first month of exposure. So far, two-thousand-273 cases have been reported, with 796 deaths in just two months. By comparison, the 2018–2019 Ebola outbreak in the country took more than ten months to reach two-thousand confirmed cases. WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says the outbreak in the DRC has become the third largest on record:

# Cricket: Aiden Markram and Laura Wolvaardt were the big winners at the Cricket South Africa awards in Johannesburg yesterday evening, scooping the men’s and women’s player of the year accolades. Markram also claimed the players’ player of the year award. Wolvaardt also won best ODI player, best T20 player and players’ player of the year awards. Simon Harmer and Matthew Breetzke were named the men’s Test and ODI players of the year, respectively, while Lungi Ngidi won T20 international player of the year and the SA Fans’ player of the year prize. 

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-47-cents and the euro at 18-rand-83-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-345-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-986-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-12-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….