News 06:00

BULLETIN 20 August 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Impeachment Committee is seeking a legal opinion on Ramaphosa’s objection to the evidence leader
# Raymond Parsons says the lower inflation in July is good news
# And, the Israeli military launches a probe into the killing of a five-year-old girl in Gaza

# Parliament’s Impeachment Committee has resolved to refer a letter by president Cyril Ramaphosa, in which he objects to the recommended evidence leader, for a legal opinion. The president says he removed Madonsela as his appointee to the Judicial Service Commission following the 2022 chief justice interviews. He also said that Madonsela is conflicted, as he recently provided legal advice to the ANC on the impeachment process. Committee chairperson Makashule Gana says Ramaphosa’s letter impacts the appointment process:

Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema has dismissed Ramaphosa’s objection to the evidence leader, saying he is “second-guessing” the committee’s democratic processes to delay it. The committee voted 19-5 to postpone the appointment of the evidence leader and to seek legal review of Ramaphosa’s letter. Malema says the president is not going to choose his own judge for his impeachment process:

# The DA’s member of Parliament Mark Burke has recused himself from Parliament’s Finance Committee while the South African Reserve Bank investigates a company he is a beneficiary of. Burke is facing scrutiny over allegations that fintech company Kastelo moved about four-billion-rand offshore in breach of exchange control regulations. The DA’s George Michalakis says the move is to avoid any possible conflict of interest:

# North West University Business School economist Raymond Parsons says the lower-than-expected inflation figure for last month is good news for consumers and businesses. However, Parsons states underlying price pressures remain a concern, with core inflation rising slightly to 4.2-percent. He added that the South African Reserve Bank could keep interest rates unchanged at its meeting next month if inflation continues to ease. According to the economist, the Monetary Policy Committee will likely need several months of lower inflation before considering interest rate cuts

# The Israel Defence Force says it will open a criminal investigation into the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab and her six relatives in Gaza in 2024. The IDF has acknowledged for the first time that it opened fire on the vehicle carrying Rajab and her family, after previously denying involvement. Rajab initially survived the attack, and the ambulance dispatched to save her also came under fire. Her body was recovered days later. The IDF will also investigate the killing of 15 Palestinians, including medics and a United Nations worker, in March 2025.

# Tennis: Controversial Australian player Nick Kyrgios publicly apologised after being provisionally suspended from the game for testing positive for cocaine. The 31-year-old, known for his regular outbursts on court, had been sidelined with injuries in recent years after reaching Wimbledon’s final in 2022. He reached a career-high world ranking of 13 in October 2016. Kyrgios says he made a huge mistake after testing positive for a cocaine metabolite during a tournament in Mallorca, Spain, in June.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-8-cents and the euro at 18-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-185-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-519-dollars-34-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….