News 07:00

BULLETIN 15 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency says the SANDF chief’s visit to Iran was ill-advised
# Minister Motsoaledi asks the High Court to suspend all NHI cases
# And an UN report shows sexual violence in conflict zones has risen sharply in 2024

# The Presidency says the South Africa National Defence Force chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya’s trip to Iran, was not sanctioned. During a meeting in Tehran, Maphwanya and Iran’s army commander, Major General Amir Hatami, reportedly commended their countries’ shared goal of combating global arrogance and aggressive colonial approaches. Maphwanya also denounced Israel’s bombing of Palestinians while they are standing in line for food. Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says Maphwanya’s comments are concerning:

# Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has filed papers in the Gauteng High Court seeking a stay on all pending National Health Insurance cases. This is until the Constitutional Court hears president Cyril Ramaphosa’s appeal over disclosing information that led to his decision to sign the NHI Bill into law, and matters of jurisdiction have been resolved. There are currently six court challenges against the NHI Act cases. The Health Funders Association says Motsoaledi’s attempt to delay and consolidate these cases could stall justice for years.

# The South African Social Security Agency has expressed concern over unlawful deductions from social grant beneficiaries by insurance and funeral companies. Only one consented deduction per month is allowed, and child and disability grants are not eligible for funeral policy deductions. SASSA spokesperson Andile Tshona says the agency does not authorise any deductions without beneficiary consent:

# Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela says fragmented e-hailing leadership hampers progress in resolving industry disputes. Speaking outside Maponya Mall following the death of an e-hailing driver, Tlabela says the department plans to formalise the sector to ensure consistent engagement and address illegal operations. She emphasised that the department will mediate between taxi operators and e-hailing groups to promote peaceful coexistence:

# More than four-thousand-600 survivors endured abuses used as weapons of war, torture, terrorism and political repression in 2024, marking a 25-percent increase from the previous year. This is according to the annual Report of the United Nations Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. The report covers 21 countries, with women and girls making up 92-percent of victims. The report pointed to a rise in sexual violence in detention, often used as a tool for torture and the extraction of information. The UN is calling on countries to adopt clear orders prohibiting sexual violence.

# Golf: Mexican Luis Carrera will be chasing a third title on the Sunshine Tour when he tees off in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at the Parys Golf and Country Estate in the Free State today. South Africa’s Jean Hugo returns as the favourite, having won a record 12 Vodacom Origins of Golf titles. The strong field also includes Portugal’s Stephen Ferreira, who boasts 13 Sunshine Tour top-10 finishes and one victory, Germany’s Allen John, and South Africa’s Pieter Moolman.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-58-cents and the euro at 20-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-80-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-677-dollar. Gold sells at three-thousand-338-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….