News 08:00

BULLETIN 20 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Julius Malema says those who want to leave the EFF must do so now
# A British tech tycoon is  missing after a luxury yacht sinks
# And tennis: Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the Cincinnati Open champions

# EFF leader Julius Malema has hit back at Floyd Shivambu’s decision to leave the party, saying he would not beg anyone to stay. He addressed the party’s Gauteng Provincial Ground Forces Forum in Soweto yesterday evening. He was speaking for the first time since Shivambu’s shock exit as deputy president to join former president Jacob Zuma’s MK Party last week. Malema says those who want to leave the EFF, must do so now:

Malema has meanwhile announced that secretary-general Marshall Dlamini will replace Shivambu as the party’s chief whip in Parliament. Shivambu founded the party together with Malema in 2013. Malema says the party’s government task unit which was previously under Shivambu would be dissolved:

# The Black Business Council of South Africa says the revolving door of white CEOs at Absa is very worrying. Absa is on the hunt for a seventh CEO in less than seven years after Arrie Rautenbach decided to take early retirement. He will serve until October 15th, then there will be a six-month contractual notice period of garden leave. Charles Russon will assume the role of interim CEO. The council says it is disappointed that the bank has not appointed a black interim CEO and embrace transformation.

# A rescue operation to find six people missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily is continuing. British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are among those missing. The Bayesian was carrying 22 people and anchored just offshore near the port of Porticello when it was hit by a tornado in the early hours of Monday morning. One man, understood to be the vessel’s chef, was confirmed dead, while 15 were rescued including Lynch’s wife and a one-year-old girl.

# Tennis: World number one Jannik Sinner beat Frances Tiafoe to win the Cincinnati Open for the first time. The Italian surged past the American, 7-6, 6-2, to secure his fifth season title. In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus captured her second title of the year and first since the Australian Open after defeating American Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 7-5. Sinner says he is taking some confidence heading into the US Open:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-73-cents and the euro at 19-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-525-dollars-1-cent. Gold sells at two-thousand-499-dollars-99-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….