News 07:00

BULLETIN 14 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Saftu blames capitalism for the rising unemployment
# The body of the Greenside High School matric learner has been found
# And the UN finds evidence of an intensification of war crimes in Myanmar

# Union federation Saftu says capitalism is to blame for the rising unemployment, with official figures reaching 8.3-million and expanded unemployment at 12.3-million. The federation says the latest quarterly labour force survey highlights severe youth unemployment rates, at 46.6-percent and 70-percent. Saftu’s Trevor Shaku criticises capitalism for failing to create jobs locally:  

Meanwhile, Cosatu has termed the latest unemployment figures as a national wake-up call. The expanded unemployment rate has risen to 42.6-percent, marking three consecutive quarters of job losses. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks has urged immediate action, for increased job creation initiatives. He emphasised the need for a bold Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to tackle this crisis effectively:

# The body of 18-year-old Greenside High School head boy Reza Saloojee was found in the Vaal Dam in Gauteng yesterday. He was on a fishing trip with his family on Sunday when he went into the dam to retrieve his belongings that flew into the dam. A strong current reportedly swept him away, leading to an extensive search by police divers over two days. Saloojee was found about 100 metres from the spot where he was presumed to have drowned.

# Free State premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and Jagersfontein Developments will hand over 100 newly built houses today, replacing those lost in the 2022 tailings dam collapse. The collapse, caused by a structural failure, destroyed nine homes, damaged over 20, and polluted local water sources. Jagersfontein Developments spokesperson Billy Bilankulu describes the handover as a significant milestone, bringing renewed hope to affected residents.

# The United Nations Human Rights Council says it has substantial evidence that brutal war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military have escalated across the country. The council has collected evidence from over 900 sources, including more than 400 eyewitness testimonies. Investigators found evidence of torture, sexual abuse, and abuse against children by the military. The UN says no one has been held accountable for any crimes, which emboldens perpetrators and deepens the culture of impunity in the country.

# Cricket: England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the rest of the English summer after tearing his left hamstring while playing in The Hundred. The 33-year-old will miss the three-Test series against Sri Lanka, which gets underway next Wednesday. The all-rounder aims to return for England’s three-Test tour of Pakistan in October. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the side for the Sri Lanka series in Stokes’ absence.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-11-cents and the euro at 19-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-30-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-574-dollars-3-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-464-dollars-89-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-29-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….