News 09:00

BULLETIN 20 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa and president Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe meet
# SAFTU warns against confusing lower price increases with improved living standards
# And, more than 100 are dead following a landslide at a gold mine in the Central African Republic

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will host his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa for the Fourth Session of the South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission. The commission serves as a mechanism for managing and advancing the partnership between the two nations. To date, more than 33 agreements and memoranda of understanding have been concluded between the two countries. Today will be the Ministerial Meeting with Ramaphosa, and Mnangagwa will meet tomorrow. The Presidency says discussions will focus on deepening bilateral cooperation across key areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, infrastructure, and economic development.

# The South African Federation of Trade Unions says the country has an economy scarred by world-beating unemployment, mass poverty, inequality, stagnant growth and declining industrial capacity. Headline inflation eased to 4.3-percent in July from 5.0-percent in June. Saftu’s Asive Dyani says the medicine prescribed for inflation- restrictive monetary policy, high interest rates, and fiscal austerity is being administered to an economy already suffering from chronic underinvestment, deindustrialisation, poverty and mass unemployment:

# Eastern Cape Transport and Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqatha, has launched an investigation into allegations of extortion reported against members of the Mthatha Taxi Association. The MEC held a meeting with the association yesterday. The department spokesperson, Makhaya Komisa, says the gravity of the allegations levelled against some leaders and members of the Mthatha Taxi Association compelled the MEC to institute an investigation into concerns raised by some members of the association:

# At least 107 miners have died following a landslide at an artisanal gold mine in Zamboye in the western Central African Republic. Authorities believe the incident could have been caused by the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were working. Rescuers are racing to retrieve the bodies of victims and find survivors among the miners, believed to be nationals of CAR and Cameroon. Artisanal mining, a labour-intensive method of extracting minerals, is the main source of income for many households in the region.

# Tennis: World number 24 Tommy Paul knocked out top seed Alexander Zverev to reach the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals. The American beat the German, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, setting up a clash against Italian Flavio Cobolli, who defeated Spaniard Rafael Jodar, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. In the women’s draw, defending champion Poland’s Iga Swiatek beat France’s Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-3, to reach her fourth consecutive quarterfinal in Cincinnati. She will face world number two Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Third seed American Jessica Pegula battled past Romanian Sorana Cirstea, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-9-cents and the euro at 18-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-90-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-282-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-489-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….