News 09:00

BULLETIN 23 July 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says there is a six-month delay in the Exercise Will for Peace 2026 investigation
# Britain temporarily withdraws its embassy staff from Iran
# And, the Commonwealth Games: Over three-thousand athletes from 74 countries are ready to compete

# The DA says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s promised investigation into the alleged failure to stop Iran from participating in Exercise Will for Peace 2026 has stalled. In February this year, the president instituted the probe and appointed an investigative panel to be led by Justice Bernard Ngoepe. The DA’s Chris Hattingh says Ramaphosa, in a parliamentary reply, confirmed that although he ordered that the investigation be completed within one month, he has still not received the report, which is now only expected within six months:

# Eskom CEO Dan Marokane says the orderly shutdown, repowering, and repurposing of older coal-fired power stations must be informed by evidence, system adequacy, new generation delivery and the readiness of the grid. The power utility has secured minimum emission standards exemptions for eight of its coal-fired power stations, effectively permitting continued operation beyond the thresholds that environmental regulations would otherwise impose. Six stations have received five-year exemptions, while Duvha and Matla hold nine-year exemptions aligned to their 2034 decommissioning dates. Marokane says Eskom’s task is not to abandon coal irresponsibly.

# The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has rejected the DA’s claims that the Montrose Mega City project in Randfontein has been abandoned through neglect. The party conducted an oversight visit to the housing project on Tuesday, stating that it has continued to deteriorate into a derelict symbol of mismanagement and neglect. The department’s spokesperson, Tahir Sema, says Montrose was placed on hold in June 2024 after the termination of the appointed developer’s contract for non-performance, adding that this was a deliberate act of accountability, not neglect:

# The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has temporarily withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Iran due to rising security concerns, shifting embassy operations to remote work. This is amid US president Donald Trump’s threats to “bomb and destroy” Iranian infrastructure. The British government warns that the situation in the Middle East remains unpredictable, and there is a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region. Meanwhile, an updated government travel advice continues to advise British citizens against travelling to Iran.

# Commonwealth Games: The Commonwealth Games are set to begin in Glasgow, Scotland, today. More than three-thousand athletes from 74 countries will compete across 215 medal events in 16 sports – ten able-bodied and six integrated para sports. This contingent includes a total of 112 South African athletes. Glasgow stepped in when the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the Games in July 2023. Glasgow 2026 CEO, Phil Batty, believes the slimmed-down, cut-price version of the event can save it for future generations:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-35-cents and the euro at 18-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-89-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-630-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-126-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….