News 16:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 16 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The minister of Energy pledges transparency in the nuclear build programme
# Two brothers will be extradited from Eswatini to stand trial for the murders of AKA Forbes and Tibz Motsoane
# And, mixed martial arts: Cape Town’s mayor promises a UFC event if Dricus du Plessis beats Israel Adesanya on Sunday

# Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has pledged to ensure a transparent and inclusive approach to the nuclear build programme. He addressed concerns about secrecy in previous procurement attempts, and committed to involve the public in every step of the process. Briefing the media on nuclear determination, Ramokgopa reaffirmed that nuclear energy will be part of South Africa’s future energy mix, but stressed that the approach must withstand scrutiny and maintain integrity:  

# The National Shelter Movement of South Africa has condemned the South African Police Service for its failure to resolve gender-based violence cases due to missing dockets. Board members criticised the inefficiencies in the digital records system believed to undermine justice and victim safety. They call for enhanced accountability, better resourcing, and improved coordination between SAPS and support organisations to prevent further mishandling.

# The Manzini Magistrate’s Court in Eswatini has granted South Africa’s extradition application against the Ndimande brothers. Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande are wanted for the murder of Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane. Presiding principal judge David Khumalo assured the pair’s safety concerns will be addressed by the South African Correctional Services. He ruled South Africa may proceed with due processes:

# The Southern African private sector inbound tourism association, Satsa, has assured tourists that the risk from Mpox in the region remains low. This comes as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention officially declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak a public health emergency of continental security. Satsa’s CEO, David Frost, emphasised that Southern Africa remains a safe and desirable destination. He has called for accurate media reporting to avoid unnecessary fear and stigmatisation of the entire continent.

# Mixed martial arts: Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is committed to hosting a UFC event if Dricus du Plessis successfully defends his world title against Israel Adesanya. They are set to clash in Perth, Australia, at 6.30 AM South African time on Sunday. Du Plessis captured the middleweight title in January with victory over Sean Strickland in Toronto, becoming the first South African to secure a UFC championship. UFC president Dana White then hinted the organisation might consider hosting an event in South Africa.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-91-cents and the euro at 19-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-13-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-280-dollars-83-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-471-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-8-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….