News 07:00

BULLETIN 8 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA welcomes minister Macpherson’s corruption crackdown
# The EFF is seeking clarity on the terms of reference for the Mkhwanazi committee
# And Netanyahu says Israel intends to take control of all of Gaza

# The DA has welcomed Public Works minister Dean Macpherson’s decision to open a criminal case against the suspended Independent Development Trust CEO, Tebogo Malaka. This follows a video captured by the Daily Maverick online publication showing Malaka and the IDT’s spokesperson offering a journalist a 60-thousand-rand bribe. The DA’s Edwin Macrae Bath says Macpherson’s public statement shows that the IDT is under full reform and that the corruption of old is being eradicated:

# The EFF has written to the chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, who is overseeing Parliament’s ad hoc committee that is tasked with investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The party has raised concerns regarding the draft terms of reference for the committee, the delay in distributing the documents to parties, and the legal professionals appointed to assist. The EFF says the committee is tasked with handling a very sensitive matter, and should at all times aim to demonstrate the seriousness with which it views the task at hand.

# Action Society urges acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia to urgently intervene as South Africa’s murder rate now surpasses some war zones. The organisation says over 26-thousand people were murdered in the past year, compared to ten-thousand civilian deaths in war-torn Ukraine. Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez calls on Cachalia to delegate policing powers to capable local governments like the Western Cape, enforce strict policing standards, and deploy specialised anti-crime units to known hotspots:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will launch the Station 5A Water Purification Plant at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch facility in Vereeniging today. As Africa’s largest purification facility, operated by Rand Water under the Department of Water and Sanitation, the new plant boosts water security and supports Gauteng’s growing demand. The Presidency says this aligns with Ramaphosa’s 2025 SONA pledge to address water challenges and forms part of Rand Water’s long-term infrastructure and augmentation strategy.

# Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza. The United Nations has warned that this move could risk catastrophic consequences, including more Palestinian deaths and further mass displacement. Israel is reportedly preparing a two-phase operation aimed at seizing control of Gaza City, with plans to evacuate about a million residents, as a temporary measure to establish civilian infrastructure in central Gaza. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said Hamas must be removed:

# Cricket: Proteas pace bowler Kagiso Rabada believes they should now move on from the euphoria of winning the World Test Championship final against Australia and focus on facing the country again in the white-ball series. The first of three T20s will be played in Darwin on Sunday, and the series will be followed by three one-day matches. Rabada is relishing the continuation of the rivalry between the two countries. He says they are now moving toward the T20 World Cup and will have a different approach.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-72-cents and the euro at 20-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-80-cents and Bitcoin trades at 116-thousand-880-dollar. Gold sells at three-thousand-382-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-24-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….