News 14:00

BULLETIN 13 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Gregory Loftus reveals details of 2.5-million-rand hit on his son Bevan
# Solidarity accuses Media24 of withholding management pay details
# And, the International Organisation for Migration says migrant deaths have surged in the first four months of the year

# The father of slain KwaZulu-Natal taxi and towing owner Bevan Loftus, Gregory, has told the Madlanga commission his son went into hiding after receiving warnings that police officer Deena Govender wanted him killed. Bevan was informed rival businessman Clive Nica offered Govender 2.5-million-rand for the hit. Loftus says he sought court protection for his son, but Bevan was killed during a purported police operation a day later, in January 2023:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s infrastructure drive must rebuild domestic industry and create jobs. Speaking at the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa’s presidential business conference in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, Ramaphosa states that every infrastructure project should expand local productive capacity, strengthen supply chains, develop skills and support emerging industrialists. He also acknowledges manufacturers’ difficult operating conditions, but insists the current investment cycle presents major opportunities to strengthen industrial base:

# Media24 is facing criticism from Solidarity over its refusal to disclose senior management remuneration as part of an ongoing retrenchment process. The union says the information is needed to determine whether savings at management level could help protect jobs. It wants details on executive personnel costs, bonuses, incentives and vacant or eliminated management positions. It argues every possible saving should be considered before forced retrenchments. Media24 maintains the remuneration and personnel costs of editors and management are irrelevant to the consultation process.

# Soccer: Malawi and Cameroon will face off in Sunday’s final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Malawi made history by reaching their first WAFCON final, beating Algeria 3-1. Cameroon edged hostesses Morocco 3-1 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes, with Morocco missing a crucial extra-time penalty. All four semi-finalists have qualified for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Malawi and Algeria will make their first appearance at the tournament.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-13-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-579-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-385-dollars-72-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The International Organisation for Migration says migrant deaths more than doubled along the Central Mediterranean route and tripled along the Eastern Mediterranean route in the first four months of this year, compared to last year. Along the Central Mediterranean, 821 people died or went missing, an increase of 111-percent, while along the Eastern Mediterranean, 244 people died, a rise of 259-percent. The IOM says severe weather, conflict, economic pressure and changing migration policies reshaped migration journeys across multiple regions.

Stay tuned for more news………….