News 09:00

BULLETIN 19 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Being a woman in South Africa is more dangerous than being in a war-torn area
# Ukraine is aiming to destroy the Russian war machine
# And chief justice Raymond Zondo will be honoured in a special ceremony

# Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, says the alarming high rates of gender-based violence and femicide make being a woman in South Africa more dangerous than being in war-torn areas. During the final three months of last year, 285 children and one-thousand-135 women were murdered, and 18-thousand-474 women and two-thousand-281 children were violently assaulted. The department’s spokesperson, Cassius Selala, says minister Chikunga calls on men to lead the call to end gender-based violence and femicide:

# The Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa says they are conducting assessments to quantify the extent of the damage caused by fires at two public healthcare facilities. A fire ravaged through Holy Cross in Flagstaff, destroying at least ten park homes being used as staff accommodation for healthcare workers. The MEC’s spokesperson, Mkhululi Ndamase, says in another incident, an incinerator room was burned to the ground at Dutywa Community Health Centre, after a fire started outside the facility before spreading onto the premises:

# Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the primary task in defensive operations overall is to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions. Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive in Kursk nearly two weeks ago. Zelenskyy says military incursion into Kursk aims to create a buffer zone to prevent cross-border attacks by Russian forces. He adds that everything that inflicts losses on Moscow, its economy, and its military-industrial complex, helps prevent the war from expanding.

# Soccer: Manchester City got their Premier League title defence off to a winning start, beating Chelsea two-nil at Stamford Bridge. Striker Erling Haaland marked his 100th appearance for the club with his 91st goal, with Mateo Kovacic doubling City’s lead in the 84th minute. City is aiming to win a fifth consecutive Premier League title. Manager Pep Guardiola says he was surprised by the level his players showed considering it was the first game of the season:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-81-cents and the euro at 19-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-643-dollars-43-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-501-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the judiciary will honor chief justice Raymond Zondo in a special Constitutional Court ceremony on Wednesday, as he delivers his final judgment before retiring after 27 years on the bench. The executive, Parliament, judiciary, and legal professions will participate, with a farewell dinner planned for Tuesday. Deputy chief justice Mandisa Maya will succeed Zondo in September, becoming South Africa’s first female chief justice. Zondo will notably be remembered as having chaired the State Capture Commission from 2018 to 2022.

Stay tuned for more news………….