News 08:00

BULLETIN 6 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Business Leadership SA says the backlog of court cases dampens economic activity
# Multiple nations urge their citizens to leave Lebanon amid fears of conflict
# And Olympic Games: Sweden’s Armand Duplantis sets a new world pole vault record

# Business Leadership South Africa says the swift resolution of commercial disputes is key to business, and the backlogs in courts mean investment and other commercial decisions get held up. The Johannesburg High Court, has major case backlogs, with commercial litigants expected to wait until at least August 2025 for hearing dates. Some Road Accident Fund cases have trial dates allocated as far ahead as April 2029. BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says the overall effectiveness of the rule of law depends on the courts.

# Union federation Cosatu has applauded the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union on settling with the South African Bureau of Standards. Nehawu had protested for two weeks to dispute the new payment structure implemented at the bureau, as well as claims that executive management had benefitted from a pay increase. Cosatu’s, Zanele Sabela, says the agreement reached will benefit workers greatly:

# The Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has condemned an incident at Matshidiso Primary School in Katlehong yesterday, where three men violently threatened the lives of teachers and learners. Controversial pastor, Paseka Motsoeneng, who was carrying a panga, and two other men, one carrying a gun, forcefully entered the school. The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says Motsoeneng had come to the school, demanding to fetch two children who he allegedly did not have custody of:

# Several countries, including the US, UK, Australia, France, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, and Jordan have urged their nationals to leave Lebanon due to escalating Middle East tensions. Multiple flights have also been cancelled at Beirut’s airport amid fears of conflict, heightened since Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel. Iran has vowed to retaliate following Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s death. Diplomatic efforts continue to prevent wider hostilities, with both Israel and Hezbollah indicating a desire to avoid broader conflict.

# Olympic Games: Sweden’s Armand Duplantis set a new world and Olympic record of 6.25-metre in Paris, to become the second man to successfully defend his Pole Vault title. This is the ninth time he has broken the world record, beating the mark of 6.24-metre he set in the Xiamen Diamond League in April this year. American Sam Kendricks won the silver medal, while Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis secured the bronze. Duplantis says he has not processed what he has achieved:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 20-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-61-cents and Bitcoin trades at 55-thousand-761-dollars-63-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-409-dollars-34-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….