News 16:00

BULLETIN 5 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa recalls its envoy to India over the meeting between Zuma and Gupta
# IDAC’s Ramsamy alleges intimidation from Johnson
# And monsoon floods and landslides kill over 100 people in India

# The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has recalled South Africa’s high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, for consultations following former president Jacob Zuma’s meeting with fugitive Gupta family member Ajay during a visit to India. An internal investigation into the incident is under way. Minister Ronald Lamola told the media government plans to tighten the rules for former presidents requesting diplomatic support on overseas trips:

# Advocate Drushantha Ramsamy of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption has told the Madlanga commission she faced intimidation after questioning the Section 27 referral in an investigation. She testified after challenging chief investigator Dylan Perumal, former head Andrea Johnson instructed her to respond to alleged office gossip through a formal memo. Ramsamy says Johnson later sidelined her for nine months, and told her to prove herself following her objections:

Moving abroad:

# Catastrophic monsoon floods and landslides have killed over 100 people in India, leaving a trail of destruction across the country. In Assam, the overflowing Brahmaputra River has submerged hundreds of villages, displacing nearly 900-thousand residents. Meanwhile, treacherous mudslides in Himachal Pradesh have claimed dozens of lives and cut off vital rescue routes. Emergency crews and army personnel are working around the clock, delivering food and medical aid to thousands of stranded families.

# Soccer: The DA says minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie clearly has something to hide, after he failed to appear before Parliament yesterday. He was expected to face tough questions over the 31-million-rand his department spent on a delegation to the World Cup. McKenzie has previously defended the trip, saying the decision to fund the 151-member delegation was justified. The DA’s Leah Potgieter says running from Parliament is unforgivable:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-33-cents and the euro at 18-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-427-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-207-dollars-74-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-46-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Department of Water and Sanitation is calling on South-Africans to support 17-year-old Sikhulile Nkosi as he prepares to represent the country at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden later this month. The Grade 11 learner from Sitintile Secondary School in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, won the South-African Youth Water Prize for developing an innovative coating that reduces microplastic and chemical contamination in drinking water. Spokesperson Wisane Mavasa says public voting for the People’s Choice Award closes on 15 August.

Stay tuned for more news………….