News 06:00

BULLETIN 29 August 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the swearing-in of state capture figures as MPs undermines democratic integrity
# The Tshwane mayor hits back in a bid to stop a no-confidence motion
# And cricket: The Proteas Women will play three T20s against Pakistan before the World Cup

# The DA has condemned the swearing-in of state capture figures as members of Parliament for the MK Party. The party argues the inclusion of former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana, former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama, former Eskom, and Transnet CEO Brian Molefe, and former GCIS CEO Mzwanele Manyi implicated in corruption scandals undermines the democracy and the integrity of Parliament. The DA’s George Michalakis also criticised the MK Party for altering its candidate list, which compromises voter trust:

# The South African Local Government Association has called on municipalities with poor audit outcomes to strengthen oversight and ensure accountability to prevent future failures. This follows the 2022/2023 Auditor General’s audit outcomes, which showed a 45-percent reduction in disclaimed audits. SALGA’s Lerato Phasha has emphasised the need for capable leadership, sound financial management, and strong oversight, to improve municipal governance:

# The Road Accident Fund has pledged to aid the Special Investigating Unit and the Department of Health in tackling fraudulent medical claims. RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo announced the fund will provide names of doctors and lawyers involved in such claims. Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed the SIU has saved the health department over 3.1-billion-rand from fraudulent claims. The accident fund, which has already prevented 2.6-billion-rand in fraudulent claims between 2020 and last year, is committed to further supporting anti-fraud efforts. 

# Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink has written to the council speaker to try and stop the ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence against him. In court papers addressed to the speaker, Brink’s lawyers argue that he was not given sufficient time to consider the motion, saying he has the right to a fair opportunity to take steps to defend himself adequately. ActionSA is reviewing its position in the multiparty charter, while the DA, FF Plus, and IFP have reaffirmed their commitment to the coalition.

# Israel says it is determined to deal with what it calls the threat from Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank. At least ten Palestinians were killed in the Jenin and Tubas, in what Israel says is a counter-terrorism operation. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry says the escalation of Israeli military operations, at the same time as the war in Gaza, would lead to dire results. At least 652 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since the war in Gaza began nearly eleven months ago.

# Cricket: The Proteas Women and Pakistan will face off in a three-match T20 series next month as they prepare for the World Cup, starting in the United Arab Emirates early in October. The matches will be played in Multan from the 16th to the 20th. The Proteas will then travel to the UAE where they will face the Windies on the fourth of October, followed by group matches against England, Scotland and Bangladesh. The final takes place on the 20th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-82-cents and the euro at 19-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-52-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-113-dollars-88-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-506-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-39-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….