News 09:00

BULLETIN 2 August 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Election Commission says the online voter registration portal remains active
# The PSA says the success of the extended driver’s licences initiative will depend on swift implementation
# And Team South Africa is disqualified in the men’s 4 by 100-metre relay at the Commonwealth Games

# The Electoral Commission CEO, Sy Mamabolo, says the online voter registration portal remains active, allowing voters to register and update their details to avoid missing out on the local government elections. Mamabolo says the portal will remain open until the election is proclaimed. He urges citizens to register or update their details now rather than wait until the last minute. He adds this will help to avoid unnecessary congestion on the platform in the days and hours leading up to proclamation:

# The Public Servants Association emphasises that the success of the extended driver’s licences initiative will depend on swift implementation and continued strengthening of licencing systems to ensure efficiency, integrity, and the elimination of corruption. Spokesperson Claude Naicker says extending the renewal period to ten years will reduce renewal costs over a driver’s lifetime and leave workers with more disposable income. He says this reform demonstrates the government’s willingness to consider practical solutions that reduce unnecessary red tape whilst improving public services:

# The Parliament Portfolio Committee on Transport supports the move by the Cabinet decision to extend the validity period of licence cards from five to ten years for certain categories of vehicles. The committee chairperson, Donald Selamolela, says any improvements to the systems are always welcomed, as this will allow government to focus on the high-risk aspect of the system. He sincerely hopes that government will not suffer losses due to this extension, and that administrative functions will be significantly improved.

# The DA in Gauteng has requested the Rand West City mayor, William Matsheke, for a declaration of interest to the Office of the Speaker. The party’s Jacques Julius says during a recent Special Council meeting the Mayor maintained that his recent visit to the FIFA Soccer World Cup in the United States of America was paid for using his own funds. He cited that he had a vested business interest in paying for this trip:

# And sports news:

# Commonwealth Games: Team South Africa ended its track and field performance in Glasgow with a total of four medals. Kyle Rademeyer clinched silver in the men’s pole vault final with a season’s best height of 5.70 meters, while Australia’s Kurtis Marschall won gold with a Games record height of 5.85 meters. However, in the men’s 4 by 100-meter relay final, the South Africans were disqualified for a lane infringement. Mvuyo Moss, Cheswill Johnson, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine started from lane six and finished fifth after Simbine struggled to keep up in the final stretch.

# Rugby: Paarl Gimnasium avenged their agonising defeat of last year by claiming back the Interschool’s title from their across-town rivals Paarl Boys’ High. Gimmies scored four tries against Boishaais’ singleton at Faure Street Stadium in Paarl on Saturday. The outside centre and Man of the Match Derik Cloete grabbed a brace as Gimmies triumphed 25-11 in front of a crowd of 25-thousand. It was Gimmies’ 15th consecutive victory after their only defeat of the 2026 season – a 20-19 loss to Stellenberg – and a fifth defeat of the season for Paarl Boys’ High.

Stay tuned for more news………….