News 11:00

BULLETIN 6 August 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Independent Development Trusts’ suspended CEO offered a journalist a 60-thousand-rand bribe to bury an investigation
# The DA slams the City of Tshwane’s decision to appeal the cleansing levy ruling
# And, the US envoy to the United Nations criticises the recognition of a Palestinian state as a publicity stunt

# An investigation has revealed how suspended Independent Development Trust CEO, Tebogo Malaka, and the entity’s spokesperson, Phasha Makgolane, offered Dail Maverick journalist, Pieter-Louis Myburgh, a 60-thousand-rand bribe to bury an ongoing investigation. The probe involves Malaka’s property dealings and her alleged ties to an IDT contractor. Myburgh says he met Malaka and Makgolane at a restaurant in Stellenbosch last Sunday, where he was offered the bribe:

# ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has dismissed reports that his party has been invited to be part of the government of national unity. The ANC’s national executive committee has resolved to expand the size of the coalition government and begin the process of speaking to other parties. Mashaba told Newzroom Afrika they are open to talking to the ANC if it agrees to substantially reduce the size of the cabinet, or if the GNU collapses and leaves the country in a vulnerable position:

# The DA has criticised the City of Tshwane for its decision to appeal the Gauteng High Court ruling which declared the monthly 194-rand cleansing levy unlawful and invalid. The court challenge was brought by AfriForum, which argued the levy constituted unfair double taxation for services not rendered. In court papers, the metro argues the levy is not double taxation but a fair contribution. The DA’s Jacqui Uys says the ANC coalition cannot treat residents as cash cows in an attempt to balance the metro’s books.

Moving abroad:

# The US envoy to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, says at a time when pressure on Hamas is more necessary than ever, some have instead taken steps that embolden the organisation and undermine the negotiators’ efforts. This comes as countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Canada, have announced plans to formally recognise Palestine as a state in the hopes of bringing peace to the Middle East. Shea says Palestinians in Gaza must be allowed to begin a new chapter free of Hamas:

# Tennis: American Taylor Fritz has set up a semifinal showdown with compatriot Ben Shelton at the Canadian Open in Toronto. The second seed defeated Andrey Rublev of Russia while Shelton beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur. Top seeded German Alexander Zverev will face Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the other semifinal. In the women’s draw in Montreal, Japan’s Naomi Osaka eased past Elina Svitolina of Ukraine to make the semifinals, where she will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who defeated American Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-86-cents and the euro at 20-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-76-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-132-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-373-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….