News 08:00

BULLETIN 25 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Supreme Court of Appeal will today hear the government’s case against the social relief grant
# The EFF has laid a parliamentary ethics complaint against Mark Burke
# And swimming: Swimming SA’s president and CEO are provisionally suspended

# The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will today hear the government’s appeal against the ruling by the High Court in Pretoria on the 370-rand Social Relief of Distress grant. The High Court found several SRD grant regulations unconstitutional and invalid, including the requirement for applications to be submitted online only. Civil society groups say the online-only system excludes about 14-percent of eligible beneficiaries who lack internet access. National Treasury argues that the SRD grant was created as a temporary COVID-19 relief measure, warning that expanding it could cost nearly 100-billion-rand.

# The EFF has formally lodged a complaint against the DA’s Mark Burke with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests. This follows allegations that Kastelo, the company he founded, has been investigated by the South African Reserve Bank for apparent exchange control violations in transactions valued at four-billion-rand. Last week, the DA removed Burke from representing the party on Parliament’s Finance committees. The EFF’s Omphile Maotwe alleges that Burke has not been transparent in Parliament about being probed by the Reserve Bank:

# The Gauteng Department of Education says it is attending to infrastructure concerns raised at Reiger Park Secondary School in Boksburg. Concerns include the condition and functionality of ablution facilities at the school, as well as access to drinking water for learners. The department’s spokesperson, Onwabile Lubhelwana, says a team of inspectors will conduct an assessment of the ablution facilities and water infrastructure at the school. He says the outcome of the assessment will determine the necessary intervention:

# US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has launched ‘Operation Economic Outcast’, an economic onslaught against Iran’s financial connections around the globe. This as the US has imposed a host of new sanctions against Tehran, covering sectors like digital assets, technology and shipping that the Treasury Department determined Iran has relied on to prop up its economy. Bessent has threatened to impose severe sanctions against any country or entity maintaining economic ties with Tehran:

# Swimming: The international body Aquatics Integrity Unit has provisionally suspended Swimming South Africa president Alan Fritz and CEO Shaun Adriaanse over potential violations of the World Aquatics Integrity Code. The allegations include abuse of power and providing false information and fake documents. The AIU says Fritz and Adriaanse are prohibited from holding any position within Swimming SA, Africa Aquatics, World Aquatics or any other recognised body for the duration of their provisional suspensions. They are also prohibited from participating in or attending any aquatic-related activities.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cent and the euro at 18-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-722-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-635-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-46-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….