News 07:00

BULLETIN 6 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Impeachment Committee agrees to request Ramaphosa to appear before it
# TLU SA says property rights affect every South African
# And, the UN Human Rights chief is alarmed by the rise in executions in Iran

# Parliament’s Impeachment Committee has agreed that president Cyril Ramaphosa will be requested to appear before it. An opinion compiled by Parliament’s legal advisors suggests the president would not be treated differently from any other witness called to Parliament to give evidence, and that he should be allowed to testify voluntarily. Committee chairperson Makashule Gana says if Ramaphosa refuses to appear before the committee, he will have to be summoned:

Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema has suggested that all witnesses who will testify before the Impeachment Committee should appear in person rather than virtually. The committee is conducting preparatory work and legal reviews regarding misconduct allegations against Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal. Malema says in-person testimony of witnesses will safeguard the integrity of the proceedings. He also insisted that all hearings must remain open to the media:

# The agricultural organisation TLU SA says property rights affect every South African and are essential for economic growth, job creation and investor confidence. It warns that weakening property rights could threaten food security, economic stability and legal certainty. TLU SA’s Caria van der Merwe says citizens need to stay informed about developments around expropriation without compensation, which could have far-reaching consequences for businesses, families and communities:

# United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed alarm at the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March. At least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, including 27 individuals in cases linked to January’s nationwide anti-government protests. Executions for drug-related offences are also continuing at an alarming rate. Türk says the persistent lack of fair trial and due process guarantees is deeply troubling. He says the death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity.

# Rugby: All Blacks 144-Test cap veteran Beauden Barrett headlines the match-day 23 that will face the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday. Barrett is backed up by 90-cap outside centre Anton Lienert-Brown, 88-cap left wing Rieko Ioane and 57-cap lock Patrick Tuipulotu, who will also captain the side for the match. Winger Rieko Ioane earns his first start since returning from a sabbatical at Leinster. Prop Siale Lauaki and utility back Josh Jacomb will both make their debuts for New Zealand.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-32-cents and the euro at 18-rand-85-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-98-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-544-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-288-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A new University of the Western Cape study indicates that spending too much time on social media and smartphones may affect students’ mental health. According to researchers, students who spent more time on social media were more likely to show symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The university’s Anita Padmanabhanunni urges universities to encourage healthier smartphone habits and raise awareness of the mental health risks of excessive use:

Stay tuned for more news………….