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BULLETIN 24 August 9 am

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In this bulletin:

# The Parliament Education Committee is worried about rising school violence
# ActionSA slams the justice system for failing whistleblowers
# And South Africa has a new boerewors champion

# Parliament’s Education Portfolio Committee has expressed concern over escalating violence and bullying in South African schools. Chairperson Joy Maimela says videos showing learners threatening teachers and attacking each other highlight a deepening crisis. The committee has called for stronger partnerships between schools, parents, communities, and law enforcement. She stressed that safe learning environments require both security protocols and inclusive, respectful cultures that protect learners’ dignity and rights:

# ActionSA says the justice system continues to fail whistleblowers who are against corruption in South Africa. This follows the commemoration yesterday of the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, with the masterminds behind her murder still unknown, leaving her family without justice. ActionSA has also noted similar cases, including Marumo Phenya, as preventable tragedies. The party has pledged to table Private Members’ Bills in Parliament to strengthen whistleblower protections, incentivise reporting, and intensify the fight against corruption in South Africa.

# The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has voiced frustration over the prolonged business rescue process at SA Steel Mills, warning that the fate of more than 700 workers is at stake. NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says workers face financial devastation while potential buyers are being considered. It has urged the Industrial Development Corporation to prioritise job preservation and worker welfare, as a meeting with the IDC is set for 1 September:

# Turkey’s first lady, Emine Erdoğan, has written to Melania Trump, urging her to show the same concern for children in Gaza as she has for Ukrainian children affected by war. Trump previously sent Russian President Vladimir Putin her own letter concerning the nearly 20-thousand Ukrainian children that Kyiv’s government says have been abducted during three years of war. Erdoğan urged Trump to address the ongoing suffering in Gaza, where an estimated 18-thousand children have been killed over the past two years. She suggested that Melania send a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for an end to the crisis.

# Rugby: The Cheetahs produced a solid performance to cruise to a 47-31 victory over the Lions on Saturday afternoon. The victory takes them to the top of the log, ahead of the Boland Cavaliers. The contest was a game of two halves. The home side coasted to a huge lead in the first 40 minutes. The visitors fought back in the second half and almost overturned the deficit, but the Cheetahs proved to be too strong. The Cheetahs scored six tries and five conversions against the Lions’ five tries and three conversions.   

# And finally: A thirty-three-year-old car salesman from Paarl has claimed the top spot at the 33rd Shoprite and Checkers Championship Boerewors finale, held in Cape Town on Saturday.  Roberto-Rui Agrela emerged as the country’s best boerewors maker, outdoing more than two-thousand-350 hopefuls who entered the competition this year. Along with the bragging rights, Agrela drives away in a Toyota Fortuner and 20-thousand-rand in cash. South Africans can taste the country’s best boerewors from 5 September when it hits shelves nationwide, just in time for Heritage Month and the Springboks’ clash against New Zealand on 6 September.

# Stay tuned for more news…