News 11:00

BULLETIN 10 September 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF says the National Lottery Commission is abusing its power
# The DA wants to ensure the accuracy of the next census
# And motorsport: McLaren wants to maximise its car’s competitiveness

# The EFF says the National Lottery Commission’s abuse of power, financial misconduct, and deliberate manipulation of the legal system cannot be ignored. The commission continues to use law firm Cheadle Thompson and Haysom without a contract or service level agreement, despite advice from seven reputable bodies. The commission is accused of not renewing the contracts of 12 black law firms, but opting to continue using the services of the law firm without a contract. The EFF says it will demand that the commission’s board appears before Parliament.

# The DA says during the next five years, it will maintain strict oversight throughout the preparations for the next census, to ensure the failures of 2022 are never repeated. Last month, Statistic South Africa issued a new report in which it said that Census 2022 data on employment, income, mortality and fertility would not be published, due to concerns over the quality of the data. The DA’s Katherine Christie says citizens deserve reliable data for equitable planning:

# The African Transformation Movement has expressed outrage at the ongoing lack of accountability and justice for the victims of the listeriosis outbreak. In 2018, Tiger Brands’ Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane was identified as the source of a listeriosis outbreak that killed 218 people between 2017 and ’18. Six years later, the class action lawsuit launched on behalf of victims and their families has yet to go to trial. ATM’s spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, says they are calling on all parties to end the stalling tactics:

# The United Nations Human Rights says ending the war in Gaza and averting a full-blown regional conflict is an absolute and urgent priority. The latest attack in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people after Israel struck a designated humanitarian zone. UN commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, says states cannot accept blatant disregard for international law, including binding decisions of the Security Council, and orders of the International Court of Justice:

# Motorsport: McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella says they need to capitalise more on the competitiveness of the car. McLaren’s Lando Norris has reduced Red Bull Max Verstappen’s drivers’ championship lead to 62 points, while Red Bull’s advantage over McLaren in the constructors’ standings is eight points. Stella says Ferrari’s return to form is good as having more cars taking points away from Red Bull can be a positive for his team. After this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, there will only be seven more races left this season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-85-cents and the euro at 19-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 56-thousand-800-dollars-23-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-503-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….