News 09:00

BULLETIN 7 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF questions the venue cost for the Madlanga Commission
# Deputy minister Sotyu says tourism can be a powerful tool for empowering women
# And an American army sergeant is arrested for shooting five soldiers in Georgia

# The EFF has submitted an urgent appeal to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry chairperson, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, raising concerns over venue cost management. The commission has been tasked with investigating corruption in the criminal justice system. The EFF says its concern arises from the costly precedent set by the State Capture Inquiry, which cost nearly one-billion-rand, with a significant portion of the expenditure linked to the lease of a venue in Parktown. The party says Madlanga must insist on using a municipal hall or another publicly owned facility to save costs.

# Tourism deputy minister, Maggie Sotyu, says women are essential drivers of the tourism industry, not only as employees and entrepreneurs but also as cultural stewards and agents of change. She launched the Atrium Boutique Hotel in Limpopo yesterday, which has 100-percent black ownership and 60-percent women’s ownership. Sotyu says it is important to accelerate women’s economic empowerment, break down persistent barriers such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment, and create inclusive opportunities for all:

# The DA in the Western Cape has reiterated its call for an urgent reform of the national housing funding model, which currently lacks the long-term certainty necessary for effective infrastructure planning. The party’s Dirk Wessels says a prime example is the Greenhaven housing development project. He says the project calls for approximately one-thousand housing units in Groot Brakrivier, where nearly the same number of residents are currently registered on the housing database:

# An active-duty US Army sergeant has been arrested after he opened fire at the Fort Stewart military base in Georgia, wounding five of his fellow soldiers. Officials say the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Sergeant Quornelius Samentrio Radford, opened fire with his personal handgun and was targeting his fellow troops. Brigadier General John Lubas says this is an ongoing investigation, and the motive for the shooting is unknown at this stage:

# Rugby: Australia’s scrapping of the so-called ‘Giteau Law’ has opened the door for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to strengthen his squad for the Rugby Championship with overseas-based players. The law prohibited the use of overseas-based Wallabies who haven’t played 60 Tests. Rugby Australia’s Peter Horne says they will still select locally-based players if they are of equal calibre. The Wallabies start their campaign with two Tests against the Springboks in South Africa – in Johannesburg on the 16th and a week later in Cape Town.  

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-73-cents and the euro at 20-rand-70-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-629-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-379-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….