News 07:00

BULLETIN 31 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa pledges a stronger fight against crime and gang violence
# The SABC will broadcast the Springboks’ Test against the All Blacks
# And rugby, a loss to the All Blacks will cost the Springboks their number one world ranking

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to intensify the fight against crime and gang violence in Cape Town through a new cooperation agreement. Police minister Senzo Mchunu, the City of Cape Town, and the Western Cape government, including community organisations, have agreed to increase law enforcement presence in the province. In his keynote address at the agreement’s signing in Belhar, Ramaphosa said the plan will expand Operation Shanela, boost arrests, and target drug and gang operations:  

Meanwhile, ActionSA says the slight decrease in the murder rate, from 73 to 69 per day, offers little comfort as violence against women and children persists. With nearly three murders occurring every hour and 966 women and 314 children murdered in the first quarter of 2024/2025, the figures remain deeply troubling. ActionSA’s Dereleen James calls for the reinstatement of specialised units and a focus on socio-economic drivers of crime, to restore public safety and trust:  

# The Taliban government’s morality ministry says it would not cooperate with the United Nations mission in Afghanistan. The announcement comes after the UN mission warned that a new morality law, requiring women to cover up completely and not raise their voices, would damage prospects for engagement with the international community. The ministry said it wants international organisations, countries, and those individuals who criticised the mentioned law to respect the religious values of Muslims and refrain from such criticisms and statements that insult Islamic values and sanctities.

# The SABC and SuperSport have agreed on a once-off partnership to jointly live televise today’s Rugby Championship Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Ellis Park. The announcement was made yesterday evening, meaning the game won’t just be available on the pay-channel TV, but will also be broadcast on SABC2, the SABC Sports Channel and SABC’s radio platforms. The partnership means the SABC will be broadcasting a Springbok/All Black Test live for the first time since the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, a game that also took place at Ellis Park.

And finally, on the field, much more than victory over old foes the All Blacks are at stake for the Springboks in this afternoon’s Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park. The world champions will relinquish the number one position in the world rankings if they should lose, while New Zealand could surpass them. If the Kiwis win by more than 15 points, they will be a step closer to regaining the top spot for the first time since November 2021. Ireland will then move to first position, and South Africa to third.

Stay tuned for more news………….