News 18:00

BULLETIN 29 July 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Madlanga commission orders an independent medical examination for Suliman Carrim
# SAMWU welcomes the Treasury’s decision to release 7.1-billion-rand’s municipal funding
# And, ActionSA says South Africa needs managed, legal migration

# The Madlanga commission has dismissed North West businessman Suliman Carrim’s application to indefinitely delay his testimony. Carrim, who suffered a heart attack in April, cited he is medically unfit to testify. Evidence leader Adila Hassim opposed the postponement, arguing CCTV footage and cellphone data appeared to contradict claims that Carrim’s movements were severely restricted. Commission chairperson, retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, ruled that Carrim must appear before the commission on 14 August:

The former head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, Andrea Johnson, has meanwhile admitted to the Madlanga Commission that the arrests of Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo and his co-accused amounted to an abuse of power. Johnson accepted that less intrusive measures, such as summonses, could have secured their court attendance. Responding to Commissioner Sesi Baloti, she agreed the arrests were unnecessary, conceding the powers of arrest had been misused:

# The South African Municipal Workers’ Union has welcomed National Treasury’s decision to release July’s municipal equitable share payments. Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana stated that the reason for releasing the remaining 7.1-billion-rand equitable share was concern over the impact on service delivery. SAMWU general-secretary, Dumisane Magagula, says Treasury’s decision to withhold these allocations in the first place was reckless, ill-conceived and devoid of any appreciation of the realities confronting municipalities, workers and communities:

# ActionSA says South Africa does not have to choose between economic growth and stronger immigration enforcement. The party’s Mongezi Ntsebenzo argues that properly managed legal migration can boost the economy, but the government must improve border security and enforce immigration laws. He says legal migration and illegal immigration should not be treated as the same. He adds the government should improve visa administration, strengthen border security, and take tougher action against employers who knowingly hire undocumented migrants.

# Soccer: European governing body UEFA is reportedly considering a boycott of future FIFA events if president Gianni Infantino pushes ahead with plans to sell off part of the world body to private investors. FIFA is planning to raise an estimated 70.35 billion-rand this year by selling a reported 20-percent minority stake in a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, at an equity valuation of around 334.46 billion-rand. UEFA says soccer’s soul and governance are not assets to trade, especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-76-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-9-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-318-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-6-dollars-and-6-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-15-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….