News 08:00

BULLETIN 3 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Action Society says the Madlanga Commission will not result in prosecutions or policy change
# Eskom says its generation fleet continues to show ongoing solid momentum
# And rugby: The Bulls demolish the Sharks in a record win

# Action Society says it has no confidence that the Madlanga Commission’s judicial inquiry into claims of deep-rooted corruption and political meddling within the police will yield meaningful accountability. Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez says the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has announced that a budget of 147.9-million-rand has been allocated for the commission over six months. She says based on experience, it is unlikely to result in prosecutions or policy change and risks becoming another costly exercise with no tangible outcomes:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says the government is actively addressing water shortages in the country as water demand is increasing due to the result of economic and population growth. He says the government has pledged to invest over 940-billion-rand in infrastructure over the next three years. Mashatile says this funding will revitalise roads and bridges, build dams and waterways, modernise ports and airports, and power the economy:

# Eskom says the power system continues to operate reliably, supported by an improved Energy Availability Factor, which reflects progress in plant performance and enables Eskom to meet winter electricity demand effectively. Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says the generation fleet continues to show ongoing solid momentum, with over half of Eskom’s fourteen coal-fired power stations now operating at an EAF above 70-percent. She says this includes three stations performing at a notable performance of more than 90-percent:

# Rescue crews searching for five trapped Chilean miners have discovered a body. The miners were trapped when a section of the El Teniente copper mine collapsed on Thursday following a strong 4.2-magnitude tremor. The remaining four miners are still missing, and rescuers have vowed to continue their search. Sky News reports crews are trying to drill through 90 metres of rock to reach the trapped miners, but no contact has been made with the trapped workers. Two people are now known to have died as a result of the collapse. Nine other miners were injured.

# And finally, sports news:

# Cricket: Former Proteas star batter AB de Villiers smashed an unbeaten 120 runs off 60 balls to lead South Africa’s champions’ team to victory in the final of the World Championship of Legends against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The South Africans easily secured the nine-wicket victory with 19 balls left and picked up a winner’s cheque of 3.6-million-rand. The 41-year-old De Villiers was awarded Player of the Match as well as Player of the Tournament. He hit seven sixes and 12 boundaries and also ended the competition as the leading run scorer with 429 runs.

# And rugby: The Bulls made a massive statement as they smashed the Sharks 64-0 in a one-sided Currie Cup game at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. It was the Bulls’ biggest victory over their coastal rivals. The almost ten-thousand fans that weathered an icy August evening in Pretoria saw 10 tries for the home side without any answer from the visitors. Phiwe Nomlomo’s side is now unbeaten after two games. Last weekend, they mauled Western Province and are odds-on early favourites for the title along with the Lions.

Stay tuned for more news………….