News 17:00

BULLETIN 26 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Human Rights Commission warns of a potential recurrence of the 2021 July unrest
# Action Society welcomes the parole review of a child killer
# And, cricket: The Proteas look to get their World Test Championship campaign on track in the Caribbean 

# The South African Human Rights Commission warns of a potential recurrence of the 2021 July unrest. Commissioner Tshepo Madlingozi cites widespread disillusionment with nation-building efforts, poor sector coordination, and a culture of impunity. He emphasises the need for social and national dialogue to address the challenges faced by South Africans and to restore faith in democratic institutions:

# Action Society has welcomed the Department of Correctional Services’ decision to review the parole of former police officer Marius van der Westhuizen, who killed his three children in Brackenfell, Cape Town, in 2006. He served only 13-years of his 24-year sentence, and his case is now under review following a report from the parole board. Action Society’s Kaylynn Palm expresses hope that the review will lead to the right decision:

# The South African Revenue Service has released 90-percent of reversed refunds after a screening process affecting at least 30-thousand taxpayers. The remaining refunds will be released by Monday, or communication will be made to those needing to submit documentation. SARS apologised for the confusion and explained that all refunds undergo validation to ensure their legitimacy. Refunds are screened within two to 21 business days. Since the start of the tax season, SARS has paid 14-billion-rand in refunds to 1.5-million taxpayers, with 83-percent processed within 72 hours.

# International cocoa prices have surged due to fears of a shortage. Ghana’s industry regulator, Cocobod, announced plans to allocate the 2024/’25 crop based on total output, sparking concerns about the crop’s recovery. Unfavorable weather has affected Ghana and Ivory Coast though the latter expects a rebound to two million tonnes next season. Ghana’s production is projected to rise from 425-thousand to 700-thousand tonnes, but doubts remain. Oxford Economics Africa anticipates continued price volatility and uncertain cocoa output recovery in both countries.

# Cricket: The Proteas Test squad is on their way to the Caribbean to begin their busiest period of red-ball cricket and attempt to get their World Test Championship campaign on track. South Africa is eighth on the points table but have only played four Tests. The series against the West Indies is the first of four Test series for South Africa between now and January. Captain Temba Bavuma is looking forward to Test cricket: 

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-27-cents and the euro at 19-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-214-dollars-3-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-376-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-54-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….