News 18:00

BULLETIN 21 August 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# BOSA pledges citizen-focused proposals to strengthen the national dialogue
# Cricket: The Proteas can clinch the ODI series against Australia in Mackay tomorrow
# And the final British one-pound coins featuring the late Queen enter circulation

# Build One South Africa is calling for transparency and a strong economic focus in the national dialogue. The party says the process must be truly inclusive and prioritise solutions that grow the economy, create jobs, and improve living conditions. They will engage civil society, business, and other stakeholders to ensure their proposals strengthen the dialogue. BOSA’s Mmusi Maimane warns that the dialogue lacks credibility without clear plans, accountability, and meaningful public engagement:

# The DA has welcomed the departure of former Johannesburg Property Company CEO Helen Botes. DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku says the exit marks progress but not the end of accountability. Kayser-Echeozonjoku says the party has long highlighted corruption, mismanagement, and failures under Botes. With criminal and civil cases ongoing, she insists Botes remains responsible:

# The chairperson of Parliament’s portfolio committee on Public Services, Jan de Villiers, says the ghost worker crisis and unlawful selling of posts will not be tolerated. The committee demands strict oversight, calling on Basic Education and provincial departments to account for steps taken since the 2016 Volmink report. De Villiers confirmed that the Education Labour Relations Council will verify educators nationwide by October. He stresses that rooting out ghost employees and corruption will redirect funds to classrooms, hospitals, and communities.

# Cricket: The Proteas can clinch the one-day series against Australia in Mackay tomorrow after Tuesday’s convincing victory in the first encounter in Cairns. Aiden Markram, captain Temba Bavuma and Matthew Breetzke’s half-centuries propelled South Africa to a huge score of 296 for eight, whereafter spinner Keshav Maharaj took his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals to help bowl the hosts out for 198. The Proteas’ tour will end with Sunday’s final ODI, also in Mackay, after Australia won the T20 series 2-1.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-71-cents and the euro at 20-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-80-cents and Bitcoin trades at 113-thousand-623-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-345-dollars-44-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-72-cents a barrel. 

# And finally: The last batch of one-pound coins bearing the face of late Queen Elizabeth II is entering circulation in the United Kingdom, with more than 23-million of them destined for tills and people’s pockets. The Royal Mint says the release of the final Elizabeth the Second coins, dated 2021 and 2022, marks a pivotal moment in British coinage history. Alongside them, a further 7.5-million new King Charles the Third coins are also entering circulation. His face has been on UK coins since 2023, but only on one-pound and 50-pence denominations.

Stay tuned for more news………….