News 11:00

BULLETIN 31 August 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The SACP calls for an end to US sanctions and military actions
# Motorists can expect a September fuel price drop
# And Yemen’s Houthi prime minister is killed in an Israeli airstrike

# The South African Communist Party has urged the United States to lift sanctions on Iran, halt military Venezuela operations in , and stop supplying arms to Israel. SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Madlana denounces US president Donald Trump’s decisions on human rights during a Johannesburg protest outside the United States Consulate yesterday. He says the protests are aimed at pressuring the US to uphold human rights, also highlighting the negative impact of tariffs on South Africa:

# The Activists and Citizens Forum has accused acting police minister Feroz Chachalia of publicly critisising national police commissioner Fannie Masemola over 121 dockets linked to KwaZulu-Natal political killings. Spokesperson Dennis Bloem commended Masemola’s swift action over the decision, stating that justice must be served. He warned Chachalia not to interfere in operational matters as some of the dockets are reportedly ready for imminent arrests:

# Motorists are set for some relief as the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy prepares to announce September fuel price adjustments next week. Preliminary data from the Central Energy Fund points to a four-cent drop for 95-grade petrol and a 12-cent decrease for 93-grade. Diesel is expected to fall by 55-cents a litre, while paraffin could drop by 37-cents. The declines are driven by a stable rand-dollar exchange rate and lower global oil prices.

# Tax Justice SA has urged the government to declare illicit trade a national emergency after a new African Union report revealed South Africa loses over 250-million-rand daily to criminal syndicates. Illicit cigarettes cost 28-billion-rand annually, while illegal alcohol drains 16.5-billion-rand. Founder Yusuf Abramjee warned the crisis robs citizens of schools, hospitals, and homes, blaming weak enforcement and political apathy. He says criminals act with impunity while South Africans pay the price, demanding urgent government action.

# Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saturday vowed to take revenge for the killing of their prime minister and other political leaders by Israeli airstrikes earlier this week. The Houthis confirmed Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in a strike on the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday, which also left others seriously wounded. Al-Rahawi is the most senior figure in the Iran-backed Houthis to be killed in Israel’s campaign against the group. The Houthis have been targeting Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Palestinians following the October 7 attacks, and have fired several missiles at Israel.

And rugby:  The Pumas beat Western Province 39-13 in their Currie Cup clash in Cape Town on Saturday, and in doing so, remain in contention for the playoffs. Province took a slim lead of 10-7 into half-time with the Pumas under pressure for most of the first half. However, the visitors came out in full force after the break and quickly raced into a 22-10 lead. The onslaught continued with the Pumas scoring a total of five tries against the home team’s one. The Pumas are now 5th on the log, with Province right down in 8th place.  

Stay tuned for more news………….