News 18:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 16 August 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Energy Ministry revises the nuclear procurement process for greater public trust 
# Amcu laments the lack of accountability 12 years after the Marikana massacre
# And, Olympic Games: Poland wants to host its first Games in 2040 or ’44

# The Energy Ministry is revising its nuclear procurement process to enhance public trust, following concerns about transparency. This revision aims to address previous concerns about secrecy and ensure that the procurement process is open, accountable, and inclusive of stakeholder input. Briefing the media on nuclear determination, Electricity and Energy minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has prioritised transparency and public involvement in the process, reinforcing confidence in the nuclear build programme:  

# Mineworkers’ union Amcu has criticised the lack of accountability 12 years after the Marikana massacre, where 34 people were killed and 78 injured. President Joseph Mathunjwa says despite the 150-million-rand Farlam Commission wrapping up in 2014, no one has been held accountable. He says justice remains elusive, calling for urgent reforms in the country’s policing system:

# Build One South Africa says it has uncovered corruption in the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, with 100-million-rand intended for township entrepreneurs reportedly misappropriated. They accuse Family Tree Holdings of deceiving entrepreneurs and mishandling funds. BOSA is calling for a Special Investigating Unit probe, a Public Protector review, and the resignation of MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile. They also advocate for the establishment of township special economic zones to boost job creation and economic growth. 

# Olympic Games: Poland plans to bid for the Games in 2040 or 2044. Prime minister Donald Tusk says the decision is dedicated to the young athletes of today. President Andrzej Duda announced last year the country wants to submit a bid for 2036. Poland has never before hosted an Olympics, but has co-hosted the European Soccer Championship with Ukraine in 2012, and hosted the European Games last year. The German capital of Berlin also wants to host the Games in 2040 after an absence of 104 years.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-90-cents and the euro at 19-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-6-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-235-dollars-52-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-486-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

# And, finally: The University of the Western Cape’s professor Derek Yu says in a significant shift over the past decade, married women in South Africa have achieved educational parity with their male counterparts, leading to notable improvements in labour market outcomes. Yu says the gap between men and women has been considerably reduced:

Stay tuned for more news………….