News 08:00

BULLETIN 5 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Thabo Mbeki says the government of national unity needs to urgently convene a national dialogue
# Judges, magistrates, and public office bearers get increases
# And a 14-year-old is charged with murder after four people were killed at a Georgia school

# Former president Thabo Mbeki says a national dialogue should be urgently convened to give the government of national unity a mandate. He delivered a lecture at Unisa’s African Leadership Institute in Pretoria yesterday. He says a national dialogue would ensure that the government is consolidated and that coalition partners would not keep referring to their own manifestos. Mbeki also spoke about his party saying the renewal of the ANC has not happened yet despite resolutions made at three party conferences.

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Justice and Constitutional Development has approved the draft notice regarding the remuneration for judges, magistrates, and other public office bearers. President Cyril Ramaphosa decided on a three-percent increase for the 2023/2024 financial year. He further determined an increase of 2.5-percent for the 2024/2025 financial year and a 4.7-percent increase for magistrates. The committee says South Africa needs to move towards a single judiciary, which will assist with challenges regarding a difference in the remuneration between the salaries of magistrates and judges.

# Three suspected extortionists including controversial Mthatha West traditional leader, Nkosi Dalinzolo Mareke, were killed and a police officer wounded in a shootout in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. In August, at least three schools in Mthatha West were approached by extortionists who demanded protection fees. OR Tambo District Commissioner, Phumzile Cetyana, says Mareke was the mastermind behind the extortions in the area:

# Two students and two teachers were killed and nine injured in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, US. A 14-year-old boy, who is a student at the school, was arrested and will be charged with the four murders. This is at least the 45th school shooting in America this year. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director, Chris Hosey, says authorities are investigating how the AR-platform-style weapon that the shooter used got into the school:

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana captain and goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, is one of ten goalkeepers nominated for the prestigious Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or awards. He is the first South African to receive an esteemed nomination at the awards. Williams, who also plays for Mamelodi Sundowns had 35 clean sheets in 59 games in 2023/2024. He will compete with top global goalkeepers like FC Porto’s Diogo Costa and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez for the award, with the winner announced on the 28th of October in Paris.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-86-cents and the euro at 19-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-97-dollars-42-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-496-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….