News 08:00

BULLETIN 9 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the legacy foundations’ concerns about the National Dialog will be addressed
# The DA pledges action to protect the Komani women from gender-based violence
# And the Joburg Market wins a top award

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says grievances raised by six legacy foundations, including the Albert Luthuli, Mbeki and Desmond Tutu foundations, will be ventilated. The groups withdrew from the National Dialogue, saying the 15 August date undermines its credibility. Ramaphosa says the venue, funding, and operations centre are ready, with about one-thousand delegates expected. He dismissed the withdrawals as minor setbacks, noting no differences on substantive issues:

# Ramaphosa says access to clean water is a basic right, not a luxury. Speaking at the launch of the Rand Water Zuikerbosch Purification Plant in Emfuleni, Ramaphosa warned that poor water quality causes health crises and erodes public trust. Ramaphosa reaffirmed government’s commitment to delivering high-quality, safe water to every household and urged improved infrastructure, use of the digital age technology and mitigating climate challenges:

# The DA has vowed to protect women and girls in Komani, Eastern Cape, where gender-based violence rates are soaring. During a Women’s Day protest, DA Enoch Mgijima Constituency Leader, Chantel King, said the town faces a state of emergency, with 158 rapes reported in a year. She called for urgent police support, community awareness on alcohol abuse, and improved street lighting to tackle the crisis and ensure lasting change:

# Johannesburg Market has won the “Best Collaborative Teamwork Project” award at the 2025 Africa Conference and Awards of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Held under the theme “Connect and Engage,” the two-day event spotlighted ethical procurement, supplier empowerment, and supply chain resilience. The accolade recognises Joburg Market’s excellence in cross-functional collaboration and governance. Senior manager Boitumelo Lephadi says the win affirms their commitment to ethical, inclusive procurement and strategic teamwork that delivers value with integrity and transparency.

# France’s multi-billion euro mineral water companies are under the spotlight because of climate change and growing concerns about the industry’s environmental impact. At issue is whether some world-famous brands, notably the iconic Perrier label, can even continue calling themselves “natural mineral water”. This follows revelations in the French media about illicit filtration systems that have been widely used in the industry, apparently because of worries about water contamination, after years of drought linked to climate change. Le Monde newspaper described it as a combination of industrial fraud and state collusion.

# And cricket: South Africa’s T20 captain, Aiden Markram, describes the young players in the squad as explosive and fearless before the three-match series against Australia, starting in Darwin tomorrow. He says there are not many worries in the world when you’re at that age, which reflects in the way they train and operate. Nineteen-year-old Lhuan-dré Pretorius, who excelled in this year’s SA20, is expected to open the batting together with experienced Ryan Rickelton. The T20 series will be followed by three one-day matches.

Stay tuned for more news………….