News 13:00

BULLETIN 13 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Western Cape government approaches National Disaster Risk Management
# The EFF calls for the closure of the Department of Small Business Development
# And, rugby: Andy Farrell expects a better performance from Ireland and the Springboks

# The Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, says they have approached the National Disaster Management Centre for help as the province desperately needs additional resources to sustain its disaster management operations. Bredell says as the inclement weather continues, around 100-thousand people in Cape Town have already been affected, and at least 33-thousand structures have been damaged. He says the Western Cape has a huge humanitarian situation to deal with, and all authorities are working together to assist.

# EFF member of Parliament, Babalwa Mathulelwa says the party is calling for the closing of the Department of Small Business Development due to its failure to help small businesses in townships. Mathulelwa was speaking during the budget debate in Parliament. She says because this department should not exist, the EFF had agreed in the 6th term of Parliament that it must be closed, with its functions made programme of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition:

# Eskom has announced the ongoing suspension of load-shedding marks 108 consecutive days of uninterrupted power supply since March this year. Eskom’s spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says this ongoing stability is a testament to the dedicated efforts of Eskom’s 40-thousand employees in implementing the Generation Recovery Plan, which began in March last year, as well as carrying out extensive planned maintenance:

# Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case has been dismissed following a motion filed by his defence accusing the prosecution of concealing ammunition evidence. The 66-year-old, who faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted, broke down in tears as the judge in a New Mexico court threw out the case. Baldwin had always maintained he did not pull the trigger of the gun with live ammunition in the fatal shooting in 2021 of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film Rust.

# And, rugby: Much is at stake in this afternoon’s final Test between South Africa and Ireland in Durban. Some still regard the Irish as the best team in the world despite the Springboks winning the World Cup for the fourth time, while the visitors hope to end their season on a high note by drawing the series. Irish coach Andy Farrell expects the world champions to be twice as good as they were when they won last weekend’s first Test in Pretoria:

Stay tuned for more news………….