News 06:00

BULLETIN 20 August 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Investigating Directorate against Corruption is now a permanent unit
# Minister Mchunu defends the shootouts between suspects and the police
# And mixed martial arts: Du Plessis earned over nine-million-rand with his title fight

# The Investigating Directorate against Corruption is now a permanent unit within the National Prosecuting Authority after regulations were gazetted yesterday. While the directorate has been operating for five years to address cases raised in the State Capture Commission, it did so only as a temporary unit within the NPA. In May president Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the NPA Amendment Act. The Investigating Directorate against Corruption will enhance the government’s capacity to combat complex corruption and implement decisions from commissions of inquiry among other things.

# Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson is calling on experts in the built environment to join two advisory committees focused on asset management and infrastructure delivery. The committees will provide strategic guidance to address challenges such as construction delays and contractor underperformance. Macpherson invites professionals, including engineers and infrastructure economists to apply by 30 August: 

# ANC Gauteng Chairperson Payanza Lesufi has called for heightened discipline and proper conduct among party members. In a media briefing following the conclusion of the provincial executive committee lekgotla in Boksburg, he expressed concern over leaders publicly criticising organisational decisions and undermining democratic processes. Lesufi rejects claims that the party in the province acted against its national leadership by forming a government without the DA:  

# Police minister Senzo Mchunu has defended the recent shootouts between suspects and police, emphasising that officers will not retreat when confronted by gunfire. The minister visited Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday, to pay respects to the families of the six people who were shot dead during a shootout with police this weekend. In Ntuzuma, three suspects including a police officer were killed following a robbery on Sunday. Mchunu also condemned police members involved in criminal activities:

# Russia says it will not talk to Ukraine given its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, which took Moscow by surprise and has now stretched into its second week. Ukraine sent troops over the border on 6 August and has since held onto a part of the Kursk region, going on the attack in an offensive that has rattled Moscow. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told local media that at the moment it would be completely inappropriate to enter into a negotiating process.

# Mixed martial arts: Dricus du Plessis earned close to nine-million-rand for Sunday’s defence of his UFC world title against Nigerian-born New Zealander Izzy Adesanya in Perth, Australia. The South African added another 750-thousand-rand from his sponsorships. Adesanya earned just under 18-million-rand, plus sponsorships of 570-thousand-rand. Experts explain that UFC fighters earn a fixed price, based on their popularity and recent results, despite the outcome of an encounter. Du Plessis earned 6.2-million-rand when he beat American Sean Strickland in January.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-71-cents and the euro at 19-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-350-dollars-90-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-503-dollars-21-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….