News 07:00

BULLETIN 14 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Parliament’s ad hoc committee stresses the importance of its findings and recommendations
# The World Health Organisation is concerned about Trump’s executive order on vaccines
# And finally, Boulders Beach is again one of the best beaches in the world

# Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, says the findings and recommendations of the committee may help shape the criminal justice system. The committee was established to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused high-ranking politicians, police leaders and criminal cartels of infiltrating South Africa’s criminal justice system. Lekganyane says the committee cannot become a “laughing stock” by failing to make findings against those accused of wrongdoing:

# The MK Party has initiated formal proceedings in both Parliament and before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry against the chairperson of the portfolio committee on Police, Ian Cameron. His name was mentioned at the commission in connection with allegations that he was part of a plot by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption to remove suspended National Commissioner Fannie Masemola. Cameron has denied the allegations. The MK Party says Cameron must appear before the commission to give evidence, ensuring his version of events is officially placed on the record under oath.

# Gauteng MEC for Education, Lebogang Maile, says the suggestion that his department has spent money on office accommodation at the expense of school funding is mischievous and misleading. According to reports, Gauteng’s provincial government is spending more than 230-million-rand a year on rented district offices for the department, while public schools across the province face severe budget cuts. The department’s spokesperson, Onwabile Lubhelwana, says the department does not procure office accommodation, enter into lease agreements, or administer a budget for the procurement:

# World Health Organisation director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed concern that changes to the immunisation policy in the United States are not in line with the best available science. On Monday, president Donald Trump signed an executive order reducing the number of routine childhood immunisations from 18 to 11. The changes also include separating the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three single-disease shots. Ghebreyesus says the current evidence is unequivocal: vaccines are safe and do not cause autism:

# Soccer: South Africa defeated Nigeria 2-1 in their CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations playoff match in Morocco to qualify for the FIFA Playoff tournament for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Goals from Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane secured the victory for Banyana Banyana. The next phase of the qualification process will be played in November and will feature two teams from Africa, South Africa and Ghana, two from Asia, and one each from Oceania and South America. The top two teams will advance to March’s final play-off round.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-19-cents and the euro at 18-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-497-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-320-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Cape Town’s Boulders Beach has once again earned international recognition, ranking 20th on Big Seven Travel’s list of the world’s 50 best beaches for 2026. The Simon’s Town attraction is famous for its sheltered waters, granite boulders and colony of endangered African penguins. Visitors can swim in designated areas and view the penguins from boardwalks but are urged not to feed or touch the wild animals. Boulders previously ranked 12th on the same list in 2021. The beach forms part of Table Mountain National Park and remains a major tourism drawcard.

Stay tuned for more news………….