News 08:00

BULLETIN 21 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Justice minister says Zondo has earned the respect of South Africans
# President Ramaphosa authorises the Special Investigation Unit to probe the OR Tambo Municipality
# And Kamala Harris accepts the Democratic presidential nomination

# Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Thembi Simelane, says through his service, retiring Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has earned the admiration, respect, and gratitude of all South Africans. He was honoured at a farewell dinner in Johannesburg yesterday evening. Zondo is set to retire at the end of this month, ending a 27-year judicial career. Simelane says on the state capture commission, history will record that Zondo fulfilled his responsibility with wisdom and diligence:

Chief Justice Designate, Mandisa Maya, meanwhile hailed Zondo for supporting women in the judiciary. He was appointed to the helm of the judiciary by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022. Maya, who will be South Africa’s first female chief justice, says Zondo’s support added significantly to the impetus for the recognition of women in this arm of the state:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit to probe allegations of grave maladministration in the Eastern Cape’s OR Tambo Municipality. This is in connection with the construction of the Signal Hill Reservoir and the appointment of the Amatola Water Board in 2019. A forensic report in 2020 showed that the municipality paid Amatola Water an unexplained advance of 28-million-rand. The SIU says the probe will also zero in on any irregular, improper, or unlawful conduct by municipal officials or entities involved in the contracts.

# US vice president Kamala Harris has symbolically accepted her party’s presidential nomination after delegates at the Democratic National Convention held a ceremonial roll call in Chicago. She already became the party’s official nominee earlier this month after receiving a majority of votes via a virtual roll call. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, are currently holding a campaign rally in Milwaukee. Harris says the presidential race against Donald Trump is about two very different visions for America:

# Golf: South African Ryan van Velzen, seen as a rising star, will make his debut in the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City in North West in December. He is described as the face of a new generation of young South Africans trying to make their mark in the famous tournament. The 22-year old qualified when he won the overall Order of Merit on the Sunshine Tour last year. Van Velzen joins compatriots Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Erik van Rooyen in the tournament with overall prize money of 107-million-rand.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-77-cents and the euro at 19-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-310-dollars-37-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-514-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….