News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party accuses the SABC of poisoning millions with the government of national unity
# The FF Plus urges an overhaul of the criminal justice system
# And cricket: 17 wickets fell on the first day of the second Test between South Africa and the West Indies

# The MK Party says the SABC’s viewers and listeners are being poisoned daily, for as long as it referred to the seventh administration as a government of national unity. The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has reserved judgment in the MK’s bid to prohibit the public broadcaster from using the term government of national unity. The party wants the court to declare the conduct of the SABC unconstitutional and invalid. MK Party lawyer, Dali Mpofu, says this case concerns the SABC’s constitutional obligations and the rights of those it serves.

# The Freedom Front Plus calls for a major overhaul of the criminal justice system and harsher punishments for violent and sexual crimes. The plea follows the withdrawal of parole for Marius van der Westhuizen, convicted in 2011 for murdering his three children. The party’s Heloïse Denner calls for a review of the parole system to ensure fairness and better consideration of victims’ rights: 

# The Department of Water and Sanitation has revealed that its water trading entity is owed over 25-billion-rand by municipalities, companies, and water boards. This debt was highlighted during consultations on water use charges for 2025/26 in Pretoria. Despite efforts, only 13-percent of the debt was recovered from April to June 2024. The Department says the mounting of debt hampers infrastructure investment and could impact water quality and reliability. Meanwhile, ongoing consultations aim to finalise new water tariffs for the coming year.

# The Western Cape Education Department has called on parents to submit their Grade R and school transfer applications for the 2025 school year before the window closes today. MEC David Maynier says Grade R applications must be submitted online, while transfer applications for Grades 2 to 7 and 9 to 12 should be submitted in hard copy at the desired school or education district office:

# United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, says the death toll from Gaza surpassing 40-thousand is a grim milestone for the world. On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past ten months, with most of the dead being women and children. Türk says this unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defence Forces to comply with the rules of war:

# Cricket: Fast bowler Shamar Joseph took five wickets as the West Indies bowled out South Africa for 160 in their first innings on day one of the second Test in Georgetown, Guyana. A tenth-wicket partnership of 63 between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger saw the Proteas’ first-innings total recover from 97 for nine to 160 all out. In reply, Wiaan Mulder took four wickets as the West Indies were restricted to 97 for seven in their first innings, still trailing South Africa by 63 runs at stumps.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-98-cents and the euro at 19-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-448-dollars-53-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-457-dollars-18-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-89-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….