News 18:00

BULLETIN 17 July 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Activists and Citizens Forum calls for the Independent Directorate Against Corruption to be disbanded
# The DA welcomes Home Affairs delivering 400-thousand Smart IDs at bank branches
# And, soccer: Argentina’s coach will face off with his Spanish mentor in Sunday’s final

# The Activists and Citizens Forum has reiterated calls for the Independent Directorate Against Corruption to be disbanded following testimony before the Madlanga Commission. Spokesperson Dennis Bloem said senior investigator Brian Padayachee’s evidence exposed alleged abuses within the unit regarding the arrest of Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and six other senior officers for fraud and corruption related to irregular appointments. He urged Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to dissolve the Directorate:

# The DA has welcomed the Department of Home Affairs’ milestone of processing over 400-thousand Smart ID applications through its new Digital Partnership Model with the banking sector. Absa has now joined the likes of Capitec, Standard Bank and First National Bank, where South Africans can now access Smart ID services through a network of 296 participating bank branches across the country. The DA’s Adrian Roos says an identity document is a gateway to opportunity:

# The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa says it strongly rejects the retrenchment proposals from pharmaceutical manufacturer Adcock Ingram. The company has served the union a Section 189A notice, proposing the retrenchment of 250 workers at the Clayville plant in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. GIWUSA president, Mametlwe Sebei, says Adcock Ingram’s job-cut strategy is an attack on workers:

# South African renewable resources company, Sappi, has joined the Roadmap to Zero programme created by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Foundation aimed at eliminating harmful chemicals from the global fashion supply chain. Through its Sappi Verve brand, the company supplies dissolving wood pulp used to produce sustainable textile fibres. Sappi says the partnership will strengthen responsible chemical management, and improve supply chain transparency. In addition, the programme will support collaboration with manufacturers and brands to promote safer, more sustainable textile production worldwide.

# Soccer: Sunday’s World Cup final will see Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scalone, face off with his Spanish mentor. Luis de la Fuente was Scalone’s teacher when he studied for his professional coaching licence in Spain’s training centre in Las Rozas in 2017. Forty-eight-year-old Scalone took charge of his nations’ team the next year and lead them to the title in 2022. Sixty-five-year-old De la Fuente also oversaw a resurgence in Spanish soccer since taking over in December 2022. France and England will play in the third-place play-off tomorrow.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-52-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-88-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-115-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-993-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-88-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….