News 14:00

BULLETIN 21 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fadiel Adams alleges his Section 27 affidavit was altered and his signature was forged
# Rugby: The penultimate round of Currie Cup group matches has arrived
# And a lost Karoo sheep’s seven-year lone survival and thirty-kilogram of wool inspires a bursary for farmers

# National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams has alleged his Section 27 affidavit was altered and his signature may have been forged on the document presented to the Madlanga commission. He says information he considers important was removed from the affidavit. Commissioners questioned how the document could contain his initials and signature if it was not the version he signed. Adams says he was leaning towards the signature being forged:

# AfriForum says energy regulator Nersa’s plan to introduce key performance indicators for municipal electricity distributors will not solve service delivery problems unless existing rules are enforced. The organisation’s Morné Mostert says Nersa should investigate poor performance, enforce licence conditions and carry out technical checks. He adds the regulator should investigate repeated failures, enforce licence conditions and conduct technical audits:

Moving abroad:

# Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been taken back to prison after spending several hours in hospital. Doctors declared him medically fit. Khan’s party says the move violates a Supreme Court order that he remain under medical supervision until at least mid-September. Authorities say he was taken to a state hospital instead of the private facility specified by the court because of security concerns. Khan has been jailed since 2023 and supporters say his health has deteriorated in prison.

# Rugby: Three Currie Cup matches will be decided today and another on Sunday, while the focus will be on the first Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks tomorrow. Pumas welcome Griquas to Mbombela at three this afternoon, followed by the match between the Blue Bulls and the Stormers-23 at Loftus. This evening, the Sharks-15 and the Lions will do battle in Pietermaritzburg. On Sunday, the Cheetahs and Boland will play in Bloemfontein. The final group matches will be played next weekend, followed by the semifinals.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-2-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-48-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-582-dollars-1-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 95-dollars-46-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A sheep that survived alone in the Karoo for seven years has inspired a new bursary fund for future farmers. Rico survived drought, predators and harsh conditions before being found in the Moordenaars-Karoo on the border of the Western and Northern Cape. After his rescue, he produced a local record of 30.7-kilograms of wool. The National Wool Growers’ Association and the University of the Free State have established the Rico Bursary Fund, with ten agricultural bursaries already allocated, while the public is invited to also contribute.

Stay tuned for more news………….