News 08:00

BULLETIN 11 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF rejects the ‘austerity-driven’ Basic Education budget
# The NPA welcomes the sentence of an apartheid police officer for killing an activist in 1987
# And an Israeli strike kills 15 people, including ten children

# The EFF has rejected the 2025/2026 Basic Education budget, saying it is an austerity-driven, anti-poor allocation that fails to address the systemic collapse of public education. The department has received a total budget of more than 35-billion-rand, an increase of more than eight-percent from 2025. The Early Childhood Development conditional grant increased to more than 1.7-billion-rand. The EFF’s Mandla Shikwambana says it is unacceptable that rural and township schools remain plagued by infrastructure backlogs and lack of digital access:

# The Presidency and National Treasury say the latest Operation Vulindlela report shows steady economic reform progress despite strong headwinds. The January to March report for 2025/26 highlights milestones in Phase-two, including groundwork for Independent Transmission Projects, freight logistics partnerships, and local government reforms. Cabinet has also approved the Digital Transformation Roadmap. The Presidency and National Treasury say the joint initiative continues to advance structural reforms in electricity, water, telecoms, and governance to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

# The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the 15-year prison sentence handed to former apartheid police officer, Johan Marais, for the 1987 murder of student activist Caiphus Nyoka. This is the NPA’s first sentence regarding any Truth and Reconciliation Commission matters. Marais pleaded guilty to premeditated murder, carried out under police orders. The High Court in Pretoria rejected his plea for leniency, citing a lack of remorse. The NPA’s Lumka Mahanjana says this marks a significant victory:

# At least 15 people, including ten children, were killed by an Israeli strike as they queued outside US-based Project HOPE’s health clinic in central Gaza on Thursday. The strike in front of the Altayara health clinic in Deir al-Balah happened as patients had gathered outside, awaiting its opening to receive treatment for malnutrition, infections, chronic illnesses, and more. The Israel Defence Force says it had targeted a Hamas terrorist who had participated in the 7 October 2023 attack, but regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.

# Golf: Austria’s Sepp Straka, who is chasing his third PGA Tour win of the year, is among four players tied for the lead at six under par, after the opening round of the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club. Straka is alongside American Jake Knapp, Frenchman Victor Perez and Nico Echavarria of Colombia. Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre began his title defence with a two-under 68 to sit alongside Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, one adrift of world number one American Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg of Sweden.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-75-cents and the euro at 20-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-6-cents and Bitcoin trades at 116-thousand-634-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-334-dollars-74-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….