News 07:00

BULLETIN 18 September 7 am

Good morning/Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The US Trade Representative is set to meet minister Tau in a bid to resolve the impasse over tariffs
# Judges Matter says the MK Party’s legal challenge over the Madlanga Commission is unjustifiable
# And, the DA says Joburg mayor Morero will be held accountable for the ongoing water crisis

# US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, are reportedly expected to meet in New York today. The talks aim to lower the 30-percent tariff that America imposed on South African exports. The country’s trade-negotiation team has submitted a revised proposal in an effort to reach a lower tariff deal. US-SA relations have hit rock bottom since president Donald Trump took office in January. Trump has stopped all aid to the country, accusing it of discriminating against its white minority.

# Judges Matter’s Mbekezeli Benjamin says the MK Party’s legal challenges over the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry’s legality are unwarranted. The commission began investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi yesterday. The allegations include political interference and criminal syndicates infiltrating law enforcement and the judiciary. Speaking to SABC News, he stressed that allegations must be substantiated and hopes judiciary-related claims will be prioritised to protect the justice system’s integrity:

# Electricity and Energy minister Kgosientsho Ramogkopa says South Africa’s underperforming economy, combined with electricity tariffs, is making it increasingly difficult for residents to pay for the electricity they use. Municipalities collectively owe over 400-billion-rand, and in return, municipalities owe Eskom just above 100-billion-rand. Ramogkopa says the inability of customers to pay for electricity creates a vicious cycle, with more residents looking to illegal connections, putting pressure on the grid. He adds that a critical step in addressing debt owed to municipalities is to crack down on illegal connections.

# The DA in Gauteng says it is pleased that mayor Dada Morero and Johannesburg Water’s managing director Ntshavheni Mukwevho will account for the growing water crisis in the metro. The two will appear before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Water and Sanitation on Friday. Residents in Westbury, Coronationville, and Westdene, among other areas, have been battling with water supply challenges for over two weeks. The DA’s Stephen Moore says the mayor has left this crisis to continue to deteriorate:

# Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, says foreign laboratory tests on his biological samples confirm he was poisoned. The 47-year-old died in February 2024 in a Russian prison. Navalnaya, who has long accused Moscow of killing him, posted a video on X alleging two labs in different countries reached the same conclusion. She demanded public release of the findings, dismissing Russian claims that he died from natural causes.

# Golf: The South African duo of Danie van Niekerk and James Mack set the pace with their rounds of four-under-par 67, to share the lead after the first round of the Sunbet Challenge at the Umhlali Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal. They are one stroke clear of their compatriot Lyle Rowe and Indonesia’s Eric Wowor. Van Niekerk, who is still searching for a maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour, says he has put himself in a strong position to win the 54-hole tournament:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-41-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 116-thousand-560-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-655-dollars-95-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….