News 06:00

BULLETIN 27 August 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom calls for a joint effort to tackle municipal debt and energy theft
# The African Transformation Movement asks for an inquiry into rand manipulation
# And the probe into the recalled consul general in Dubai is ongoing

# Eskom has called for a collaborative approach to address the growing municipal debt and widespread energy theft. The power utility urges the government, communities, and municipalities to work together to resolve these problems and ensure financial stability. In a media briefing, Eskom chairperson Mteto Nyati says these issues are major challenges for the utility, with unpaid municipal bills and illegal connections driving up costs and impacting service delivery:  

# The African Transformation Movement urges Parliament to launch an inquiry into alleged rand manipulation by national and international banks. Following the recent dismissal of the Competition Commission’s forex cartel case against most implicated banks, the party calls for a thorough investigation into the allegations, their impact on the economy, and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight. ATM president Vuyo Zungula says the inquiry is essential for restoring public confidence in South Africa’s financial system. 

# The DA in Johannesburg is outraged by the city’s administration for awarding a 200-million-rand tender to a company on trial for defrauding City Power of 94-million-rand. The company is expected to repair the Lilian Ngoyi Street explosion site. The party is demanding transparency, accountability, and company blacklisting. The DA’s Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku has requested a full investigation to address mismanagement:

# The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says the investigation into the Consul General in Dubai, Andrew Lebona, is ongoing. He has been recalled following allegations of misconduct. Lebona is accused of arranging break-ins at his offices as part of an elaborate scheme to sell visas for United Arab Emirates citizens to enter South Africa. The department says it has acted on information from whistleblowers about alleged security breaches and misconduct. It adds that Lebona will appear before an investigation team in South Africa.

# Cricket: Only pride is at stake for the Proteas in tonight’s final T20 against the Windies in Tarouba. The hosts already clinched the series after winning the first two encounters. They beat South Africa by seven wickets in the first match and by 30 runs in the second. The Proteas now return to South Africa to start preparing for a full summer, including series against Afghanistan, Ireland, and Sri Lanka, before facing Pakistan in three T20s, three one-day matches, and two Tests.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-70-cents and the euro at 19-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-2-dollars-62-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-514-dollars-95-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the University of the Western Cape has paid tribute to its former rector and vice-chancellor professor Brian O’Connell, who died at 77. He served as rector from 2001 to 2014. Among the many honorary doctorates he received include the title Commander of the Order of Leopold Two, from the Belgian government for his contribution to the global tertiary institution sector. UWC’s spokesperson, Gasant Abarder, says O’Connell’s legacy is one of passionate conviction, intellectual clarity, and engaged leadership:

Stay tuned for more news………….