News 06:00

BULLETIN 7 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the SAPS needs to be trusted, competent, disciplined and ethical
# The AmaZulu King criticises government over his exclusion from big events
# And rugby: Cheslin Kolbe and Ardie Savea will miss the final Test in the USA

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the South African Police Service is operating under unprecedented public scrutiny, given the revelations emerging from the Madlanga Commission. He gave the keynote address at the SAPS Commemoration Day at the Union Buildings in Pretoria yesterday. Twelve officers were killed in the line of duty between April last year and March this year. Ramaphosa stated that the revelations from the Madlanga Commission have raised legitimate questions about policing, leadership, accountability and institutional integrity:

# The Activists and Citizens Forum says the candidate registration dispute between the ANC and the Electoral Commission will test the Commission’s credibility. The ANC maintains it submitted its candidate lists on time but experienced technical glitches. The IEC denies any system problems, but the ANC is demanding an investigation and has threatened to approach the Electoral Court. Spokesperson Dennis Bloem says the IEC’s credibility must be protected:

# AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has expressed frustration over being sidelined from major events held in KwaZulu-Natal, including the Southern African Development Community Summit in Durban. Speaking at the uMkhosi Womhlanga, also known as the Reed Dance, at eMachobeni Royal Palace in Ngwavuma, the King said hosting high-profile events in his province without informing or inviting him is disrespectful. King Misuzulu says his exclusion could damage the government’s standing, adding that international visitors expect to meet the AmaZulu monarch when visiting South Africa.

# The Gauteng Department of Education has recorded 805-thousand-688 online applications for Grades 1 and 8 for the 2027 academic year. A total of 357-thousand-468 parents and guardians registered on the online admissions system. At Grade 1 level, Laerskool Akasia received the most applications with one-thousand-355, while Hoërskool Langenhoven in Tshwane recorded the most applications for Grade 8 level, with three-thousand-462. Education MEC Lebogang Maile says learners must be distributed logically and equitably across the public schooling system:

# South Africa’s tourism industry is feeling the impact of the Iran war, as disruptions to Middle East air routes reduce international flight capacity. Visitor numbers from China have fallen by 20-percent year-on-year, with around 40-percent of scheduled Chinese seats to South Africa lost. Industry leaders say travellers are turning to alternative routes, while higher fuel costs and airfares remain concerns. South African Tourism strategy chief Siyabonga Mthethwa is calling for stronger direct air links with China to avoid conflict zones and secure long-term capacity.

# Rugby: The Springboks and the All Blacks will be without key players Cheslin Kolbe and Ardie Savea for the final Test in Baltimore, USA, on Saturday. Kolbe suffered a broken jaw in South Africa’s 29-24 victory in the third Test in Johannesburg, while captain Savea dislocated his right shoulder. Springbok props Carlu Sadie, Boan Venter, and Ntuthuko Mchunu, as well as utility forwards Cobus Wiese and Ben-Jason Dixon, have also not made the trip to the USA. The All Blacks will also be without injured Quinn Tupaea and Luke Jacobson.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-93-cents and the euro at 18-rand-50-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-53-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-979-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-429-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….