News 16:00

BULLETIN 4 September 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Ronald Lamola confirms US engagement amid the UN General Assembly trip
# ActionSA urges Parliament to address the manufacturing job crisis
# And rugby: Two Sharks teams will be in action in Durban tomorrow

# International Relations and Cooperation minister Ronald Lamola says his upcoming US trip coincides with the United Nations General Assembly, where engagements will focus on trade and tariffs. Speaking to SABC News on the sidelines at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation dialogue, Lamola stressed while talks with US stakeholders continue, South Africa must prepare for the worst. He emphasised that government is accelerating market diversification to mitigate potential tariff impacts on local businesses:

# ActionSA has called for an urgent debate on South Africa’s manufacturing job crisis. ArcelorMittal’s Long Steel closure threatens three-thousand-500 jobs, while retrenchments at Ford, Goodyear, Glencore, and Merafe risk thousands more. ActionSA’s Michael George urges Parliament to involve ministers, unions, industry leaders, and affected workers to discuss interventions. He says tese include energy reforms, financial support, retraining, and social protection to safeguard livelihoods and industrial competitiveness:

# The commission of inquiry into the Usindiso building fire, which claimed at least 77 lives in 2023, found Johannesburg’s housing crisis is driven by poverty and a lack of affordable housing, not just hijacked buildings. Inspecting 110 properties, the commission, headed by Justice Sisi Khampepe, revealed that nearly 80-percent pose severe fire risks, with most lacking basic services such as water, electricity, and sanitation. The report accuses the city of failing to provide housing and leaving over 30-thousand households in unsafe conditions.

Moving abroad:

# The United Kingdom and its allies stand ready to support Ukraine before negotiations to end the war as well as to secure an eventual peace deal. UK Defence secretary John Healey told the BBC Ukraine’s allies would help to make the skies safe, make the seas safe, and secure the land once a peace deal had been struck. French diplomats say technical work on providing security guarantees is now complete in the event of a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed his full-scale invasion could continue.

# Rugby: Two Sharks teams take on Saracens and the Pumas respectively in tomorrow’s double-header at Kings Park in Durban. Many United Rugby Championship players and even a few Springboks are participating. Front row twins Kayden and Cohen Kiewit will pack down against Saracens. Jason Jenkins and Tino Mavesere are amongst the forwards, and Lukhanyo Am on the bench. The team to face the Pumas includes experienced loose-forward brothers Manu and Vincent Tshituka, and Phepsi Buthelezi. The Saracens game kicks off at 4pm, followed by the Currie Cup clash.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-78-cents and the euro at 20-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-975-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-544-dollars-88-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-77-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….