News 07:00

BULLETIN 5 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The SACP continues its criticism of the government of national unity
# The Gauteng Education Department is going to probe a culture of racism at the Pretoria High School for Girls
# And at least 30 are killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza

# The South African Communist Party says the ANC could have formed the government of national unity without the involvement of the DA and other counter-revolutionary forces. The SACP commemorated its 103rd anniversary in Cape Town yesterday. General Secretary Solly Mapaila says they reserve the right to oppose, act and mobilise against any rightward shift in policy, which could find its way into government via the government of national unity composition:

# The Commission for Gender Equality has reiterated calls for equal gender pay in South Africa. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report highlights South Africa’s significant income inequality as women continue to earn 23 to 35-percent less than men in the same roles. Commissioner Prabashni Subrayan-Naidoo stresses that addressing this issue requires promoting equality in opportunities, transparency, collaboration, and empowerment. She says high unemployment exacerbates the inequality.

# The Gauteng Education Department says it will launch an independent investigation to determine whether a culture of racism exists at Pretoria High School for Girls. This follows disciplinary hearings conducted by the school governing body against 12 matriculants suspended for suspected racism, which found them not guilty of all charges. They were accused of being part of a whites-only WhatsApp group, where pupils allegedly perpetuated racial micro-aggressions. The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says they respect the governing body’s decision:

# At least 30 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit the Al-Aqsa Hospital and two schools in the Al-Nasr neighbourhood in Gaza over the weekend. This comes amid reports of disagreements between the US and Israeli leaders about a possible ceasefire deal. Palestinian officials say Israel did not give civilians any warning before the airstrikes occurred. The Israel Defence Forces says it targeted terrorists operating inside Hamas command and control centres that were embedded within hospitals and schools.

# Olympic Games: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, 7-6, 7-6, in the men’s tennis singles final to win his first gold medal at his fifth Games. The 37-year-old is the fifth player to win the Golden Slam in singles, all four majors, and the Olympic title, after Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, André Agassi, and Steffi Graf. Alcaraz won the silver medal and the bronze went to Italian Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic says he is overwhelmed that he has finally achieved this feat:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-34-cents and the euro at 20-rand-3-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-46-cents and Bitcoin trades at 53-thousand-734-dollars-29-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-443-dollars-83-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-88-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The late basketball superstar Kobe Bryant’s personal locker from the Staples Centre has been auctioned for 53-million-rand, making it the most valuable sports locker ever sold. Sotheby’s confirmed the sale, noting it was preserved by a maintenance worker during the 2018 renovation. Sotheby’s Brahm Wachter described the locker as a profound relic of Bryant’s legacy. The sale marks the third-most expensive Kobe Bryant memorabilia auction. Proceeds will benefit the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.

Stay tuned for more news………….