News 09:00

BULLETIN 20 July 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister McKenzie defends the 31-million-rand FIFA World Cup expenditure
# A former Emfuleni fleet manager is arrested over a 16-million-rand tender
# And, Iran says not ‘a single drop’ of oil or gas will transit the Strait of Hormuz

# Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has defended the approximately 31-million-rand expenditure on South Africa’s Fifa World Cup programme, saying the department has nothing to hide. This follows criticism from political parties that the expenditure was wasteful. The department’s spokesperson, Zimasa Velaphi, says the programme involved 151 participants travelling to Mexico and the US, excluding service providers, with private sponsors covering part of the costs. She says a final reconciliation of sponsor contributions is still underway:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Justice and Constitutional Development has criticised calls for the recusal of retired Judge Takalani Raulinga as the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption Oversight Judge. The MK Party has described Raulinga’s appointment as an error of judgment, citing his close ties with the ANC. The committee’s chairperson, Xola Nqola, says calls for Raulinga’s recusal are nothing but weak attempts to besmirch the judge even before he has occupied his office. He says the role of the oversight office will enhance and improve the provision of justice in the country.

# The Gauteng Political Killings Task Team arrested a former Emfuleni municipal fleet manager over the weekend. This is in connection with the alleged irregular awarding and implementation of a municipal vehicle fleet tender. Approximately 16-million-rand was paid to a service provider for the delivery of 18 municipal vehicles. National Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says the 42-year-old suspect will appear in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court today on charges of fraud and corruption:

# Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says the Strait of Hormuz will remain unsafe ​as long as what it calls US “aggression” in the Middle East continues. This comes as Washington and Tehran have exchanged strikes for a ninth day of escalating attacks. The IRGC claims that two “non-compliant” tankers were targeted after attempting to cross the southern route of the Strait through the waters off Oman. It has warned that the critical waterway will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, nor even for a single drop of oil or gas.

# Golf: New Zealander Ryan Fox won the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England to capture his maiden major title. The 39-year-old shot a two-under 68 to finish one ahead of American Cameron Young and lift the Claret Jug. Another American, Sam Burns, finished two strokes back in third after a final-round 72. Englishman Tommy Fleetwood finished in a share of fourth alongside American world number one Scottie Scheffler. Fox says he nearly quit the sport, but is glad he didn’t:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-50-cents and the euro at 18-rand-88-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-21-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-737-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-22-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….