News 11:00

BULLETIN 29 August 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party is confident with Mzwanele Manyi as chief whip
# Solidarity wants the Information Regulator to intervene at the Legal Practice Council
# And rugby: All Blacks captain Scott Barrett returns for the Springbok clash

# The MK Party has appointed Mzwanele Manyi as its chief whip, replacing Sihle Ngubane. He resigned from the EFF earlier this month after being sworn in as a member of Parliament in June. MK says Manyi brings a wealth of executive experience to this administrative yet political role, as he served in government as a director general and led as a corporate executive in the private sector. It adds that Manyi’s leadership will further strengthen the party’s commitment to serving the people with integrity and dedication.

# The Solidarity Law Network has filed a complaint with the Information Regulator against the Legal Practice Council for failing to disclose information about its decision to remove Afrikaans as an exam language. The network accuses the council of failing to respond to its request under the Promotion of Access to Information Act. Solidarity’s Émil Glas says their numerous attempts to engage with and seek clarity on the council’s decision-making process have been disregarded: 

# The Referendum Party says it is outraged that there will be fewer teachers in the Western Cape from the first of January next year. The Western Cape Education Department faces a 3.8-billion-rand budget shortfall over the next three years and will need to reduce educator post allocation by two-thousand-407. Party leader Phil Craig says these cuts are the cumulative consequences of taking one-billion-rand from the education and health budgets to fund policing rather than taking control of the Police Service:

# The United Nations’ World Food Programme has temporarily suspended the movement of its staff in the Gaza Strip. This comes after its team came under fire near an Israeli checkpoint while two of its armoured vehicles were escorting a convoy of lorries with humanitarian aid. UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, says this incident is a stark reminder of the rapidly and ever-shrinking humanitarian space in the Gaza Strip, where increasing violence compromises the ability to deliver life-saving assistance:

# Rugby: New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson has made two changes to his starting lineup for their Rugby Championship Test against South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday. Captain Scott Barrett, who has been out with a finger injury, is back and replaces Sam Darry, with former captain Sam Cane coming in for Dalton Papali’i. This will be Cane’s 97th Test. Robertson says to play the Springboks at Ellis Park is one of the greatest tests they can prepare for, and they will embrace the occasion.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-74-cents and the euro at 19-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-46-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-630-dollars-70-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-516-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….