News 09:00

BULLETIN 12 July 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC will meet on Monday to reflect on Mkhwanazi’s allegations
# Eskom confirms it is geared up to manage the peak demand during winter
# And rugby: The Australia-New Zealand team will bring sparks to the British and Irish Lions tour

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the revelations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi about alleged corruption in the South African Police Service are now a matter for the government to handle. Speaking to the media in Barberton, Mpumalanga, Mbalula announced that the party will reflect on the matter during its normal leadership meeting on Monday, following president Cyril Ramaphosa’s public address on Sunday:

# Solidarity’s Helping Hand warns South Africa faces a perfect social welfare storm as the economy weakens and government spending focuses mostly on grants. Solidarity’s Phillip Bruwer criticised the Social Development Department’s new budget of 294-billion-rand, with 96-percent going to social grants for over 27-million people. Bruwer urges the government to prioritise development and policies that create jobs to reduce poverty sustainably:

# Eskom says, despite occasional power system constraints, the country’s emergency reserves are available and strategically deployed to manage peak demand. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena confirmed that the power system remains stable with three-thousand-470-megawatts scheduled to return to service by Monday. She further confirmed that Medupi Power Station Unit 4 has returned online, set to add 800-megawatts soon, strengthening national energy security and supply reliability this winter:

# The DA in Gauteng says Ekurhuleni’s ratepayers are unfairly carrying the cost of policing OR Tambo International Airport, while the city is in deep financial crisis and technically bankrupt. The party revealed that the city spends 48-million-rand annually on deploying metro police at the airport, yet receives no return, even though 20-million-rand in fines were collected. The DA’s Michael Waters criticised the Airports Company South Africa for charging 16-thousand-rand monthly rent for police premises:

# And sports news

# Soccer: Defending champions Banyana Banyana were held to a 1-1 draw by Tanzania’s Twiga Stars in a tense CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Group C clash. Tanzania opened the scoring in the 24th minute via Opah Clement, before Bambanani Mbane equalised for South Africa in the 70th. Coach Desiree Ellis says Banyana’s game was not as planned, stating that despite a late red card for Elizabeth Chenge, Tanzania held on. South Africa and Mali share a four-point lead, while Ghana and Tanzania are on one point each:

# And rugby: A combined Australia-New Zealand side plans to “light up” the British and Irish Lions tour by upsetting them today in their final warm-up before the first Wallabies Test next Saturday. Seventeen internationals are in coach Les Kiss’s matchday 23 for the clash in Adelaide. Every player in Kiss’s starting-15 has international caps, spearheaded by All Blacks David Havili, Shannon Frizell, and Hoskins Sotutu. The Australian contingent is led by Marika Koroibete, Pete Samu and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto. Kick-off is at midday South African time.

Stay tuned for more news………….