News 13:00

BULLETIN 23 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Julius Malema is concerned about the rise of unemployment affecting the youth
# Today marks five years since Babita Deokaran’s murder
# And a humanoid robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100-meter record

# EFF president Julius Malema says an EFF-led government would provide unemployed citizens and Sassa beneficiaries with free basic services. Addressing the party’s Ground Forces Forum in uMsunduzi, KwaZulu-Natal, Malema said unemployment is out of control and government was failing to meet people’s basic needs. He says Sassa beneficiaries should automatically qualify for support, including free electricity. Malema made the remarks amid intensified campaigns ahead of the local government elections:

# Today marks five years since Tembisa Hospital whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was assassinated outside her Johannesburg home after exposing alleged corruption. Her death brought renewed scrutiny to fraud and tender irregularities at the hospital, while several men linked to her killing have since been sentenced. Civil society groups and her family continue to demand accountability and the arrest of the masterminds behind the murder. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation is leading commemorative events today, calling for stronger protection of whistle-blowers.

# The Inkatha Freedom Party president Velenkosini Hlabisa says the return of approximately 200 former National Freedom Party members in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, highlights growing support for the party ahead of local elections. The members including prominent leaders NFP’s National chairperson Sibusiso Mkhabela, secretary general Teddy Twala and party councillors were welcomed to the IFP. Most of the members originally left the IFP in 2011 to form the NFP. Hlabisa says their arrival is a significant vote of confidence in the party’s principled leadership and political vision.

# Five Emfuleni Local Municipality employees have been arrested for allegedly running an illegal electricity reconnection scheme in Vanderbijlpark. Police say the suspects, from the Revenue and Electrical Departments, allegedly targeted customers whose electricity had been disconnected and demanded cash payments into their personal bank accounts. The power was then allegedly reconnected without municipal approval. The arrests followed a targeted operation by the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team. The five are expected in court tomorrow.

# Soccer: The opening weekend of the 2026–27 Premier League season delivered a massive 2- 0 upset for Manchester United as Hull City marked their return to the League after a nine-year absence with a historic victory. Despite Manchester United dominating 72-percent of the possession, Michael Carrick’s side lacked creativity, penetration, and structural discipline. Hull manager Sergej Jakirović revealed that his coaching staff had intentionally targeted United’s known weaknesses at defending set-pieces. And in another upset, Tottenham Hotspurs slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Brentford in their first game of the Premier League season yesterday.

# And finally — the robots are getting faster! A Chinese humanoid robot has beaten Usain Bolt’s 100-metre world record, clocking 9.39 seconds at a robot games event in Beijing. That’s almost two-tenths of a second faster than Bolt’s record, set in 2009. Another robot also beat the Jamaican’s time. The machines competed in events including football, dancing and practical tasks. For now, though, Bolt can relax — the robots may have beaten his time, but they’re still a long way from matching his showmanship.

Stay tuned for more news………….