News 06:00

BULLETIN 7 August 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says Sasol is a great contributor to South Africa’s economy
# The Department of Defence says it needs more money from Treasury
# And rugby, Rassie says fringe players remain part of his plans for the Tests against the All Blacks

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended Sasol’s contribution to South Africa’s economy, highlighting its role in supporting industrialisation, energy security, manufacturing, infrastructure development and job creation. He visited Sasol’s Secunda Operations in Mpumalanga yesterday, where approximately 35-million-tonnes of locally mined coal are beneficiated each year. This is to produce a wide range of fuel and chemical products that support key sectors of the economy. Ramaphosa also applauded the company’s partnerships with small and medium enterprises:

# The Department of Defence says the over-expenditure in salaries is driven by budget limitations, not financial mismanagement or a bloated administration. The department’s compensation of employees budget has been exceeded by about 3.7-billion-rand, a shortfall of more than 13-billion-rand over the next three years. Currently, the department has 72-thousand-and-95 personnel, increasing to 79-thousand-349 when including the reserve force. Chief financial officer, Edem Abotsi, has warned that next year’s overspend would be 4.1-billion-rand if the National Treasury did not give the department more money.

# The head of investigations at the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, Matthews Sesoko, has told the Madlanga commission that past workplace victimisation and a suspected work-related kidnapping stopped him from challenging his exclusion from Crime Intelligence investigations. Sesoko said while there may have been a case against Crime Intelligence officials, IDAC failed to follow proper investigation processes, putting the integrity of the cases at risk:

# The Brakpan Magistrate’s Court has postponed the murder case against suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and four others to 13 August. Mkhwanazi will remain in custody after the state opposed bail. The five are accused of murdering businessman Emmanuel Mbense, whose body was found in a dam near Nigel. Mkhwanazi’s lawyer, Peter Wilkins, argues his client should not face a schedule six charge, citing he was, at most, an accessory after the crime:

# North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula in its latest weapons test. South Korea’s military says it has stepped up surveillance and is closely coordinating with the United States and Japan to monitor any further launches. The test follows a series of missile and artillery exercises by Pyongyang and comes ahead of planned joint military drills between South Korea and America. Analysts say the launch may also be linked to recent tensions with Japan over its defence activities.

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has assured players on the fringes of the national squad they are part of his plans ahead of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand. He says Saturday’s Test against Argentina is about building momentum, improving performance and giving returning players valuable game time after injury. Erasmus insists fringe players do not have to prove themselves to earn selection, saying squad rotation will be vital during the demanding four-Test tour. Erasmus also expressed confidence in captain Siya Kolisi’s fitness ahead of the clash.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-35-cents and the euro at 18-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-99-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-160-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-246-dollars-24-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….