News 11:00

BULLETIN 24 July 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA says the Human Settlements Department has failed in its mandate
# Raymond Zondo says the fight against corruption was weakened after the Scorpions’ exit
# And the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee bars transgender women from women’s competitions

# ActionSA says it opposed the budget of the Department of Human Settlements because it reflects a continued failure to deliver adequate housing and basic services. The 2025/26 budget sees informal settlement funding slashed by 1.1-billion-rand. ActionSA’s spokesperson, Matthew Parks, says voting against the budget was not based only on the serious allegations facing minister Thembi Simelane, over which the party has laid criminal charges against her and lodged a complaint with the Public Protector:

# Former chief justice Raymond Zondo says trust in the Hawks to resolve corruption cases has faded compared to the disbanded Scorpions. Speaking at the South African Council of Churches’ Anti-Corruption Conference in Johannesburg, Zondo said the Hawks lack the capacity to deliver justice, citing the unresolved PRASA cases. He called for an independent anti-corruption agency, warning against past mistakes that weakened the country’s fight against corruption:

# The EFF in Gauteng has condemned the appointment of members of the ANC Youth League’s provincial executive committee to the boards of the province’s public institutions. At least eight Youth League leaders have reportedly been appointed to the boards of public hospitals. The EFF says filling boards with politically connected cronies is not genuine youth empowerment, but corruption and cronyism. The party is demanding the immediate reversal of all the recent appointments, and a fair, lawful and transparent process that will produce qualified board members.

Moving abroad:

# The Thai army has launched airstrikes on ground targets in Cambodia, as tension over the border dispute escalates into clashes that have killed at least one civilian. Relations between the two South East Asian neighbours have deteriorated since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in clashes. The Thai embassy in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh is urging its citizens to leave the country, warning that the conflict is likely to be prolonged and may expand further. Cambodia’s Defence Ministry has vowed to respond decisively.

On to sports news:

# The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has decided to bar transgender women from competing in women’s sports following an executive order by president Donald Trump. Officials told national governing bodies they will need to follow suit since they have an obligation to comply with federal expectations. The committee says the revised policy emphasises the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women. The National Women’s Law Centre condemned the decision, saying the committee is sacrificing its own athletes’ needs.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-59-cents and the euro at 20-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 117-thousand-483-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-376-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….