News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 August 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Donald Trump says no agreement was reached during his meeting with Putin
# The ANC says there is no tension between Ramaphosa and Mbeki
# And rugby: The Sharks suffer their fourth consecutive defeat in the Currie Cup competition

# US president Donald Trump says progress was made in his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, but no deal has been reached. The leaders met in Alaska on Friday in a meeting that lasted more than two and a half hours. Trump said he intended to speak with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, who were excluded from the discussions, to brief them:

# The ANC has denied tensions exist between president Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Thabo Mbeki. This follows the decision by Mbeki and his foundation to withdraw from the two-day national convention. Groups such as the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation cited a long list of issues, including a tight timeline, lack of preparation, and internal disagreements, as reasons for their withdrawal. ANC Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says Ramaphosa and Mbeki respect each other:

# The Forum for South Africa calls on the government to stop the dumping of cheap American chickens and pork products into local markets. FOSA warns that these imports threaten local farmers, factories, jobs, and could worsen unemployment and poverty. The forum’s Tebogo Mashilompane urges authorities to ban or limit dumped products and protect the country’s economic sovereignty:

# The DA will submit Parliamentary questions to Defence and Military Veterans minister Angie Motshekga, demanding full disclosure on costs, funds raised, and spending from the SANDF’s luxury Golf Day at Pinnacle Point in Mossel Bay on 19 September. The party says hosting such an event is tone-deaf while veterans’ medical bills go unpaid and soldiers await their allowances. The DA insists every cent raised be declared to Parliament to address concerns over financial mismanagement in the defence force.

# AfriForum says City of Johannesburg’s decision to repeal its controversial CCTV by-law is a major win for residents. The by-law, challenged in the High Court in Johannesburg as unconstitutional, would have regulated cameras in public and private spaces. The organisation cautioned metros to respect community safety networks. AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk says the ruling ensures safety infrastructure remains under community control:

# Rugby: The Sharks suffered their fourth straight defeat in this season’s Currie Cup, as the Griquas beat the Durban-based side 26–17 in Kimberley. The homeside scored four tries to the visitors’ two as they secured a bonus point and recorded their third win in the competition. Discipline proved the Sharks’ undoing, with Nick Hatton, Matt Romao, and Jean Smith getting yellow cards, which handed Griquas the momentum. Today, log leader, the Pumas, will welcome the Lions in Mbombela, while second-placed Cheetahs and Western Province will do battle in Bloemfontein. 

Stay tuned for more news………….