News 14:00

BULLETIN 1 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa vows to shield jobs amid the looming US tariffs
# The DA says the acting minister faces an enormous task to fix a broken police service
# And Rugby: Pride and history are on the line in the final Test between Australia and the Lions

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced urgent supportive measures to protect South African businesses and jobs from the impact of possible US tariff hikes. Speaking at the Union Buildings, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s position as Africa’s largest and most industrialised economy makes it a likely target. He confirmed a two-pronged approach including tough negotiations with the US and sector-specific interventions in key export areas:

# The DA says incoming acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia faces a massive challenge in fixing a broken and mistrusted police service. The party warns that public trust in the South African Police Service is at an all-time low due to political interference, mismanagement, and deep-rooted corruption. The DA’s Ian Cameron says Cachalia must act decisively from day one to restore professionalism, improve safety and public confidence in policing:

# Statistics South Africa says business liquidations rose by seven-percent in June 2025 compared to the same month last year. Company closures increased by eight cases, while close corporation liquidations rose by one. Stats SA’s Onica Mushwana says for the first half of the year, there was a slight overall decrease of one-percent in total liquidations compared to the first six months of last year:

# Rugby: Much is on the line in tomorrow’s final Test between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions in Sydney, despite the visitors already clinching the series. The Wallabies are desperate to salvage some pride after letting slip a 23-5 lead to lose the second Test in Melbourne. The tourists want to become the first Lions team to achieve a whitewash, and also the first unbeaten squad since the Invincibles beat the Springboks in the first three Tests in 1974 before the fourth ended in a draw.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-33-cents and the euro at 20-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 115-thousand-40-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-294-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-29-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Former US vice president Kamala Harris has written a memoir titled 107 Days. It is a behind-the-scenes look at her experience leading the shortest presidential campaign in modern history. The book reflects the length of her bid for the Oval Office, from the time former president Joe Biden withdrew from the race until president Donald Trump won in November. Harris, who could have been the first woman to become president, says the book is deeply personal:

Stay tuned for more news………….