News 17:00

BULLETIN 10 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SA Canegrowers warn of a double blow from the US tariffs and cheap subsidised imports
# Action Society is to pursue legal action after a convicted murderer was wrongfully freed
# And rugby: France makes ten changes for the second Test against the All Blacks

# The SA Canegrowers Association says the local sugar industry will be under severe threat from a 30-percent US tariff on exports and a surge in cheap, subsidised sugar imports. They warn the US tariff, starting next month, will make sugar uncompetitive, while cheap imports from Brazil and India are already undercutting local prices. The organisation’s Higgins Mdluli urges government to urgently update import tariffs to protect over a million livelihoods and prevent further damage to the struggling industry.

# Statistics South Africa says manufacturing production increased by 0.5-percent in May compared to the same month last year. The biggest boost came from the steel and metal products sector. However, the motor vehicle and transport equipment division experienced a sharp 6.7-percent drop. Stats SA’s Nicolai Claassen says over the past three months, output fell by 0.3-percent, mainly due to lower food and drink production:

# Action Society demands answers from Correctional Services minister Pieter Groenewald after convicted murderer Xolani du Preez was wrongfully released from custody. Du Preez, meant to serve a sentence at Pollsmoor Prison for the murder of Cape Town make-up artist Suritha Alting, was mistakenly freed despite a court order to keep him behind bars. Action Society’s Juanita du Preez says the release was due to serious negligence and warns that they will pursue legal action if necessary:

# Rugby: France’s coach, Fabien Galthie, announced a major reshuffle for the second Test against New Zealand, with 10 changes to his starting side after the 31-27 defeat in Dunedin. Ten-cap hooker Gaetan Barlot was retained and named captain. Four of the five players who played in the Top 14 final on 29 June are starting along with Leo Barre, who arrived late in New Zealand due to a thigh injury. Barlot will lead an inexperienced team with an average of only four caps each among the starters.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-75-cents and the euro at 20-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-1-cent and Bitcoin trades at 111-thousand-4-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-323-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC, Anton Bredell says the Provincial Disaster Management Centre will remain on alert as inclement weather conditions expected from Friday. The South African Weather Service has issued a warning for very cold, wet and windy conditions across the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces. The department’s spokesperson, Rowena van Wyk says daytime temperatures are expected to drop to 10-degrees Celsius and below with winds up to 30-kilometre per hour:

Stay tuned for more news………….