News 13:00

BULLETIN 23 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Godongwana flags unemployment and inequality as the biggest economic challenges
# Eskom’s  unplanned power outages fall below eight-thousand-megawatts
# And Lyle Menendez is denied parole a day after his brother’s bid was rejected

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana says unemployment and inequality remain South Africa’s biggest economic challenges. Addressing Treasury’s first public micro-fiscal policy workshop in Pretoria, he highlighted slow growth, high debt, and rising funding pressures as ongoing concerns. Marking his fourth year in office, Godongwana noted surprises in budget planning and stressed that a stagnant economy limits revenue. He emphasised that sustainable economic growth is essential to tackle poverty and inequality effectively:

# Today marks four years since whistleblower Babita Deokaran was gunned down outside her Winchester Hills home in Johannesburg after exposing suspicious 100-million-rand payments at Tembisa Hospital. The Gauteng Health Department’s chief accountant and single mother died in a hail of bullets moments after dropping her daughter at school. Six men have since been convicted, but the masterminds remain at large. Her family insists true justice will only come with the arrest of the mastermind. The family has renewed calls for stronger whistleblower protection.

# A parolee from Mamelodi has returned to prison after he was caught drinking beer in a car during a surprise visit by correctional services officers. The Department of Correctional Services officers were conducting routine monitoring of parolees convicted of serious crimes, including gender-based violence. Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale told Newzroom Afrika that the parolee’s actions violated his parole conditions, leading to his immediate reincarceration:

# Eskom has confirmed that unplanned outages in South Africa dropped to seven-thousand-265-megawatts, the lowest since December 2020, as Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan boosts plant performance. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena says the power system remains stable with 30-thousand-442-megawatts available. Eskom plans to return four-thousand-850-megawatts of generation capacity by Monday. She confirmed that year-to-date, the utility has met over 97-percent of electricity demand, with no load-shedding since 15 May:

# A California parole board has denied parole for Lyle Menendez, who was convicted alongside his brother of murdering their parents in 1989. Erik Menendez was denied parole on Thursday. It’s a crippling blow to both brothers after years of fighting for release. California Governor Gavin Newsom has the power to reverse parole decisions, and the brothers are separately seeking clemency and a new trial. They shot and killed their parents on 20 August 1989 and have long said they killed their parents out of fear after a lifetime of abuse, especially from their father.

# And soccer: The South Gauteng High Court has ruled that coach Pitso Mosimane and his agency, MT Sports, must repay over-seven-million-rand to Mamelodi Sundowns, plus seven-percent interest from May 2021. The dispute followed Mosimane’s 2020 exit to Egypt’s Al Ahly, just months into a four-year contract extension with a clawback clause. Judge Shaanaz Mia upheld the clause and High Court jurisdiction. Mosimane’s legal team plans to appeal the ruling.

Stay tuned for more news………….