News 08:00

BULLETIN 8 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A South African is among eleven people abducted by rebels in Mozambique
# Minister Tau wants to position South Africa as an attractive investment destination
# Rugby: The president of SA Rugby says the Greatest Rivalry series reflected the country’s spirit of Ubuntu

# A South African mechanic is among a group of about eleven people abducted in Mozambique during an attack by insurgents on a hunting lodge and the nearby town of Marangira last week. According to reports, alongside the South African, two other employees from the lodge were also among those taken, while the rest were residents from Marangira. The attack is thought to have been carried out by militants linked to the Islamic State group, which launched an insurgency in neighbouring Cabo Delgado province in 2017.

# Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says he will use the AIM Congress to position South Africa as a credible, competitive and attractive destination for investment. The congress, which got underway yesterday, is a flagship investment platform of the AIM Global Foundation held annually in the United Arab Emirates. It will address global economic challenges and explore investment opportunities. Tau says South Africa has significant strengths that it continues to present to the international investment community, including sophisticated financial and services sectors, established industrial capabilities and extensive infrastructure.

# The South African National Defence Union is calling for an immediate inquiry into reports involving South African National Defence Force members in Cuba. They were allegedly asked to make voluntary payments of up to 15-thousand-rand from their allowances to help needy Cuban citizens. SANDU’s Pikkie Greeff wants an investigation into who authorised the payments, how the money was used and whether soldiers were pressured to contribute:

# Johannesburg Speaker Margaret Arnolds says the killing of a school transport driver in Westbury is a painful reminder that violent crime continues to threaten the safety and well-being of residents in communities across the metro. According to police, the 53-year-old had just completed his morning drop-off yesterday when unidentified suspects opened fire from a blue VW Polo. He was shot multiple times and declared dead at the scene. Arnolds says this incident must strengthen the resolve to confront violence that is affecting communities:

# Rugby: SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has praised South African supporters for creating an atmosphere for the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, which showcased the country to visitors from around the world. The Springboks are 2-1 up in the series against the All Blacks heading into the final match in Baltimore, USA, on Saturday. Alexander says the economic impact of this series will benefit communities across the country, contributing to livelihoods. He added that SA Rugby has listened carefully to recommendations on how it can improve future events.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand and the euro at 18-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-65-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-878-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-429-dollars-37-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 99-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….