News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 Julie 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa appoints minister Mantashe as acting Police minister
# RISE Mzansi says Parliament must probe the dissolved Road Accident Fund board
# And nearly 900 Palestinians were killed while trying to source food

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, as acting Police minister with immediate effect. He will serve in this new role until professor Firoz Cachalia assumes the post at the start of August. The Presidency says Mantashe will retain his responsibilities as minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. This comes after Ramaphosa placed Police minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave following allegations of political interference and criminal infiltration of police operations.

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says the government is finalising a new Cybersecurity Bill to strengthen defences against online threats. Ntshavheni told the media that the bill will follow the completion of the national cybersecurity strategy, which focuses on improving digital safety, raising public awareness, and protecting critical infrastructure. She added that the legislation will guide how the government responds to cyberattacks, data breaches, and the misuse of emerging technologies like cryptocurrencies:

# RISE Mzansi has welcomed the dissolution of the Road Accident Fund board of directors in the wake of governance and operational challenges. Transport minister Barbara Creecy stated that the board’s failure to discharge its fiduciary duties had resulted in the loss of confidence in its ability to run the entity effectively. RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana says minister Creecy must immediately begin the process of appointing a new board, which must be made up of people of integrity and unimpeachable ethical standards:

# The Constitutional Court has granted direct access to hear the City of Cape Town’s bid to invalidate the Public Procurement Act. The act aims to provide a broad preferential procurement framework for procurement by organs of state, and includes sections aimed at empowerment and transformation, such as pre-qualifying criteria. Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says this Act was passed unlawfully, with fatal shortcomings in public participation and parliament’s procedures:

# The United Nations Human Rights Office, OHCHR, says 875 desperate and hungry Gazans have been killed in recent weeks trying to fetch food. A total of 674 deaths have been linked to private aid hubs run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, while 201 victims were killed on the routes or near aid convoys. The office says the foundation, which is a US-Israeli-run private organisation, has bypassed regular humanitarian operations. It says the killing of people while trying to access food is deeply concerning.

# Rugby: The injury to British and Irish Lions winger Mack Hansen adds to the tourists’ backline concerns after fullback Blair Kinghorn and centre Garry Ringrose sustained injuries earlier. Hansen hurt his foot during last weekend’s match against a combined Australian-New Zealand side in Adelaide, which the Lions won 48-0. The first Test between the Lions and the Wallabies will be played in Brisbane on Saturday, with the tourists being undefeated after five tour matches.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-87-cents and the euro at 20-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 117-thousand-662-dollar. Gold sells at three-thousand-332-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….