News 18:00

BULLETIN 5 September 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom’s summer outlook forecasts no load-shedding
# Top Cape Town advocate Norman Arendse is to lead the evidence in Parliament’s Mkhwanazi inquiry
# And Cricket: Cabinet hails SA’s 2027 Cricket World Cup hosting rights as a driver of economic growth

# Electricity and Energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says Eskom’s Summer Outlook from 1 September to 31 March next year forecasts no load-shedding. The system now has 15-thousand megawatts of capacity, providing headroom above previous thresholds. Ramokgopa credits Eskom staff for turning the organisation around but notes some households face load-reduction due to municipal infrastructure challenges. He assures the public that load-reduction is not load-shedding:

# Renowned Cape Town advocate Norman Arendse has been appointed as evidence leader for Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating allegations by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Arendse will be assisted by two senior counsels, with hearings set to start between 16 and 22 September. Committee chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, says Mkhwanazi will only be able to testify after 24 September, as he prepares for the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry:

# The armed wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas released footage today purporting to show two hostages seized during the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel alive in Gaza City late last month. The video shows one hostage in a car being driven through a neighbourhood with destroyed buildings, calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to carry out a planned military offensive to conquer Gaza City. The hostage, who is later filmed meeting another captive, says he is in Gaza City and that the video was filmed on 28 August.

# Cricket: Cabinet has welcomed the International Cricket Council’s decision to grant South Africa the rights to host the 2027 Cricket World Cup. This marks another milestone in the country’s reputation as a premier host of major sporting events. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says preparations for the 2027 tournament are expected to drive economic growth through infrastructure upgrades, tourism development, and job creation, reinforcing South Africa’s position on the global sports stage:

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-54-cents and the euro at 20-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 112-thousand-246-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-592-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton is being released in theatres this weekend. The stage production of Hamilton, which tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution, earned 16 nominations at the 2016 Tony’s, taking home eleven awards in total, including the coveted best musical award. The filmed version of Hamilton combines the best elements of live theatre and film in an astounding blend of hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway.

Stay tuned for more news………….