News 07:00

BULLETIN 23 September 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa is pushing for greater African representation on the UN Security Council
# The portfolio committee on Police is concerned about the charges against Sibiya
# And swimming: Tatjana Smith returns with an eye on participating in Los Angeles in 2028

# South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Mxolisi Sizo Nkosi, says the country is pushing for greater African representation on the UN Security Council. The council comprises five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Africa currently has representation among the council’s elected members, but no permanent seat. Nkosi says Africa’s case for a permanent role is grounded in the continent’s demographic, economic and geopolitical significance, as well as its direct stake in questions of international peace and security.

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Police has expressed concern at the charges against suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. He faces five charges, including rape, trafficking in persons, promoting the sexual grooming of a child, and two counts of sexual grooming of a child. Sibiya is accused of sexually grooming a 16-year-old girl and raping an 18-year-old woman. Committee chairperson Ian Cameron told Newzroom Afrika that the law must take its course in this matter:

# The GOOD Party says narratives of White persecution could deepen racial divisions and strengthen populist political parties. GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron says such rhetoric undermines South Africa’s post-apartheid settlement and commitment to non-racialism. He added minority groups should not be targeted, as South Africa’s democratic transition avoided revenge against the White population. Herron urges South Africans to reject identity politics and support equal justice, Ubuntu and universal dignity:

# The Western Cape government has welcomed Minister of Agriculture Willie Aucamp’s proposal to allow qualifying private sector companies access to the Agricultural Research Council’s intellectual property relating to foot-and-mouth disease vaccines. The ARC vaccine is a very effective defence against the domestic FMD strains; however, due to manufacturing constraints, the research council is currently not able to manufacture its vaccine at scale. MEC of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Ivan Meyer, says this proposal recognises that the fight against FMD requires a whole-of-sector approach:

# Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says his country will not allow domestic or foreign actors to interfere with what he describes as the people’s democratic choice. This comes amid growing allegations of foreign interference in Brazil’s October elections, in which Lula da Silva is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive presidential term. Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, the Brazilian leader also stated that more effective diplomacy is the only way for collective challenges, including conflicts, to be successfully addressed.

# Swimming: South Africa’s four-time Olympic medallist, Tatjana Smith, says her return to competition tomorrow is aimed at preparing for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. She entered for the 50-, 100- and 200-metres breaststroke in the South African short-course championships in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Twenty-nine-year-old Smith retired after the 2024 Paris Games, where she clinched gold in the 100-metre breaststroke and silver in the 200-metre. The 50-metre event will be introduced in the US city, and Smith says that is what she will concentrate on.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-18-cents and the euro at 18-rand-51-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-57-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-266-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-344-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 99-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….