News 08:00

BULLETIN 13 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Tau says transformation and economic inclusion are moral and economic imperatives
# The Madlanga Commission serves a notice to the taxi tycoon Joe Sibanyoni
# And, Zelensky says Ukraine needs more Patriot interceptor missiles

# Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says transformation and economic inclusion are moral and economic imperatives central to South Africa’s democratic political order. He delivered a keynote address at the Black Business Council’s Annual Summit in Johannesburg yesterday. Tau has emphasised that the country’s economy cannot grow sustainably if the majority of its people remain excluded. He added that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment seeks to unlock the full potential of the economy:

# The DA says the launch of South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation is a major step forward, making the country easier to visit, while strengthening the security of the borders. This comes as government continues its programme of structural reforms aimed at removing barriers to economic growth, investment and job creation. The DA’s Adrian Roos says complicated application processes, passports handed in for processing and long waiting periods all created barriers that made South Africa less competitive against destinations where legitimate travel was easier:

# The Madlanga Commission has served notorious Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni with a Rule 10.6 notice, requiring him to respond to questions relating to matters the commission is investigating. He reportedly needs to answer questions about alleged criminal syndicates and his association with the late taxi boss Jothan “King Mswazi” Msibi and controversial businessman Steven Motsumi. In May, the extortion and money laundering case against Sibanyoni and his three co-accused was struck off the roll by the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court, after the prosecutor failed to arrive for court proceedings.

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says his country has only about one-percent of the required stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles needed to defend against intensified Russian ballistic attacks. Moscow has stepped up its ballistic missile strikes against Kyiv in recent weeks. There is a global shortage of the interceptor missiles due to the US-Israeli war with Iran. Zelensky told CNN that he holds daily talks with partners to secure additional interceptor missiles or exchange other capabilities for them:

# Soccer: Champions of Europe Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa 2-1 to win back-to-back UEFA Super Cups in Salzburg, Austria. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the opener for PSG in the 20th minute. Villa responded positively to going behind, with their 17-year-old debutant Brian Madjo scoring the equaliser just before halftime and becoming the youngest-ever Super Cup scorer. Player of the match Désiré Doué netted the winner. PSG manager Luis Enrique says they are determined to win more trophies this season:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-14-cents and the euro at 18-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-506-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-408-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….