News 07:00

BULLETIN 11 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Floyd Shivambu’s new movement will contest next year’s elections
# The acting Police minister condemns the senseless killing of police officers
# And rugby: An experienced Bok Women’s squad is heading to the World Cup in England

# Former MK Party secretary general Floyd Shivambu has confirmed that the Afrika Mayibuye Movement will contest the 2026 local government elections. Shivambu has been engaging South Africans across the country to gauge public opinion on whether he should form a political organisation. Speaking at the Johannesburg City Hall in Gauteng on Sunday, Shivambu said that while the consultation process is still underway, they have already started the process of applying to contest the municipal elections:

# Acting minister of Police, professor Firoz Cachalia, says the senseless acts of violence against men and women in blue are an attack on the rule of law. Warrant Officer Vuyisile Sintwa and Sergeant Simon Masenye were killed while transporting an awaiting trial prisoner, Jabulani Moyo, in the Roodepoort town centre, Gauteng, on Friday. In Mpumalanga, Sergeant Lawrence Mtshweni was killed on Saturday while responding to a burglary incident in Schoemansdal. Ministry spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, says Cachalia is calling for heightened vigilance:

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has launched an urgent court application seeking to prevent Anele Mda, an Independent candidate in the 2024 General Elections, from publishing posts linking him to the tender tycoon Wandile Bozwana murder case. Mbalula’s legal team argues the posts are defamatory and misleading, damaging his reputation. Mbalula insists the claims are baseless and demands that Mda be legally restrained from further sharing such allegations. The court is expected to hear the matter soon.

# The DA in Gauteng will file a Promotion of Access to Information Act application to obtain Ekurhuleni’s financial records, accusing Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo of concealing the city’s worsening debt crisis. In April, Mamabolo revealed the metro owed 6.3-billion-rand to service providers, including Eskom and Rand Water. The DA’s Michael Waters claims he is withholding details while service delivery suffers:

# Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has called for the full withdrawal of Israel from Gaza. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday on Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City. Mansour accused Israel of prolonging the war not to end Hamas rule but to prevent independent Palestinian statehood. He says Israel’s goal is the destruction of the Palestinian people through forced transfer and massacres, to facilitate its annexation of the land:

# Rugby: The most-capped Springbok Women’s player, Nolusindiso Booi, will lead a strong 32-player squad to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. The team boasts a combined total of 689 caps. Nineteen of the players have previous World Cup experience, among them vice-captain Babalwa Latsha, who has captained the team in 14 Test matches. South Africa will open their campaign against tournament debutants Brazil in Northampton on 24 August, before further pool D matches against Italy and France. The squad will assemble in Johannesburg tomorrow.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-74-cents and the euro at 20-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 119-thousand-242-dollar. Gold sells at three-thousand-375-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….