News 08:00

BULLETIN 3 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COSATU supports the South African Reserve Bank Amendment Bill
# Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is acquitted of the most serious charges
# And Tennis: Lloyd Harris bows out in the second round at Wimbledon

# Cosatu has presented its submission on the South African Reserve Bank Amendment Bill to Parliament’s Standing Committee for Finance. Spokesperson Matthew Parks says the Bill provides for the state to be the sole shareholder in the SARB and to appoint its directors. He says Cosatu supports the Bill as it seeks to align SARB’s ownership and leadership structures in line with international norms, including across the world’s leading industrial economies:

# The Office of the Tax Ombud has postponed the release of its South African Revenue Service eFiling profile hijacking draft report to 31 August 2025. Initially set for Monday, the delay follows a request from SARS commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, for more time to respond to the report’s findings. The report will purportedly contain comprehensive recommendations aimed at safeguarding taxpayers and improving the SARS eFiling platform’s security. The Ombud says the delay ensures transparency and fairness. The report will be released for public comment shortly after publication.

# A 38-year-old Zimbabwean was arrested on the R572 road near Dongola Ranch in Limpopo and fined one-million-140-thousand-rand for transporting illegal immigrants by bus. Police spokesperson, Malesela Ledwaba, says a Zimbabwean-registered bus was stopped along the R521 road, but the driver attempted to flee. The vehicle was successfully intercepted, and law enforcement officers found 76 undocumented Zimbabwean nationals on board:

# Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail after a jury found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. While Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, he is still facing up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors accused Combs of leading a criminal enterprise made up of some of his closest employees, alleging they used threats and violence to force women to engage in drug-fueled sex acts with male escorts. Combs’ lawyers argued the sex acts were consensual and merely preferences.

# Tennis: Russia’s Andrey Rublev took his career head-to-head record against South Africa’s Lloyd Harris to 4-0 when he won their men’s singles second-round match at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Rublev beat Harris by three sets to one to advance to the third round. Harris won the first set 6-7 but Rublev hit back to claim the next three sets 7-5, 7-6, 6-3. Harris came into the match after a first-round victory over Belgian Zizou Bergs. The 28-year-old South African has battled back from injury, with major back surgery in October last year.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-59-cents and the euro at 20-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-98-cents and Bitcoin trades at 108-thousand-808-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-346-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….