News 13:00

BULLETIN 22 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister McKenzie rejects the South African Human Rights Commission’s hate speech findings
# The Postbank assures grant beneficiaries they will continue to receive their funds
# And tennis: Jannik Sinner’s coach says he should be fit for his US Open title defence

# Patriotic Alliance leader and minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has dismissed the South African Human Rights Commission’s finding of prima facie hate speech against him over historical social media posts. McKenzie calls the decision defamatory and politically motivated, claiming he never received official correspondence and was unfairly pre-judged. He says the matter is a campaign to tarnish his reputation ahead of potential future ambitions:

# The Association of Regional Magistrates of Southern Africa is demanding a 34-percent salary hike recommended by the Independent Remuneration Commission. The Gauteng High Court struck the association’s urgent bid off the roll after the Presidency’s late filing, which escalated tensions. The association argues that magistrates, earning 45-thousand- to-55-thousand-rand monthly, are underpaid compared to Members of Parliament and mayors.

# The Post Bank has reassured millions of social grants beneficiaries using its black cards and Sassa’s gold cards that they will continue to receive their money securely and on time. This follows false reports that the company’s master services agreement with Sassa is expiring and will, in turn, affect beneficiaries. Postbank’s Thamsanqa Cele told Newzroom Afrika while the agreement requires periodic reviews, its presence or absence does not affect social grant payments:

# The South African National Defence Force says none of its Oryx helicopters are abandoned in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to reports, the helicopters have been stranded in the DRC due to a lack of funds. The SANDF says only one helicopter sustained damage during the United Nations peacekeeping military operations last year and will undergo repairs. It says the other helicopters are operational and remain under its strict control. The SANDF has described the reports as misleading.

# Tennis: World number one, Italian Jannik Sinner, should be fit for the defence of his US Open title. He had to retire from the final of the Cincinnati Open against number two, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, on Monday, and also withdrew from the US Open mixed doubles. Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, says he is suffering from a virus but is feeling better and they believe he will be ready. The final Grand Slam tournament of the year starts at Flushing Meadows in New York on Sunday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-66-cents and the euro at 20-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-69-cents and Bitcoin trades at 112-thousand-998-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-329-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-11-cents a barrel. 

Stay tuned for more news………….