News 09:00

BULLETIN 22 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party condemns minister Ramokgopa’s abdication of duty
# The  Madlanga inquiry is the last chance to rescue the criminal justice system
# And Erik Menendez is denied parole decades after killing his parents

# The MK Party says it has written to Parliament, demanding that minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, be summoned to account for her ministry’s abdication of its constitutional responsibilities. The party says the minister has attempted to shift accountability for the National Dialogue to the National Economic Development and Labour Council and an interministerial committee. The MK Party’s spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, says minister Ramokgopa must disclose the full costs incurred to date for the dialogue:

# The Activists and the Citizens Forum says the Madlanga Judicial Commission and Parliament’s ad-hoc committee are the last chance to save the criminal justice system from criminal infiltration. They have vowed to closely monitor all public hearings set to commence on 1 September in Pretoria. The forum’s Dennis Bloem warns that anyone attempting to capture the system again must be exposed and held accountable:

# The ANC in Cape Town says it is deeply frustrated by how Thursday’s council meeting was conducted virtually. During the virtual council sitting, the GOOD Party tabled a motion of no confidence against the speaker, Felicity Purchase. The motion failed with 37 votes in favour, 125 against, and two abstentions. The ANC’s Charlotte Heynes says the meeting was marred by constant technical failures that undermined the work of councillors and the democratic process:

# A California parole board has denied parole for Erik Menendez, who has spent nearly 30 years in jail. He was convicted alongside his brother Lyle of murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. They were 18 and 21 at the time. The board ruled that Erik Menendez continues to pose an unreasonable risk to public safety if released, listing his teenage criminal history and the brutality of the killings. He can apply for parole again in three years. His brother’s parole hearing is today.

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has named a 48-man preliminary squad to face Nigeria and Lesotho in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month. Midfielder Sipho Mbule is one of 13 players from Orlando Pirates in the squad, while there are ten players from Mamelodi Sundowns, including Ronwen Williams and Fawaaz Basadien. There is also space for Bongouhle Hlongwane, who currently plays abroad for Minnesota United. Bafana Bafana are top of Group C in the World Cup qualifiers with 13 points after six matches.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-72-cents and the euro at 20-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 113-thousand-067-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-329-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-7-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….