News 11:00

BULLETIN 21 August 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ten axed MK Party members say their dismissal was unlawful
# Barack Obama says America is ready for a better story with Harris as president
# And rugby: Rassie Erasmus is expecting a stern test against the All Blacks

# Ten out of the 18 dismissed MK Party Members of Parliament have approached the court claiming that their abrupt dismissal, a month after being sworn in, was unlawful. The party says the members were removed after it was found that they were incorrectly included in its May general elections MP candidate list. The ten members allege that they were removed from Parliament to make way for EFF defectors, including former deputy president Floyd Shivambu. The case is being heard in the Western Cape High Court today.

# AfriForum says the overwhelming lack of support for the Presidential Health Compact should be a sign to government that South Africans do not want the National Health Insurance to be implemented. Stakeholders in the healthcare sector, including business representatives like Business Unity South Africa, will not sign the compact in its current form. AfriForum’s Louis Boshoff says according to indications, only 13 role players will sign the compact, three of whom are also government representatives:

# Build One South Africa in Gauteng has requested the Public Protector to investigate the provincial government’s scheme with Family Tree Holdings and Kathorus Shop Owners Association. The companies were selected by the Department of Economic Development to carry out provisions of the Gauteng Township Development Act. Family Tree received 50-million-rand, which was matched by private sector funding to bring the total to 100-million-rand. BOSA’s Ayanda Allie says Ekurhuleni township entrepreneurs have received no funding, despite being fully eligible:

# Former US president Barack Obama says Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, embody a return to an America where everyone looks out for each other. He delivered an impassioned endorsement of Harris on the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Obama says the vast majority of Americans don’t want to live in a country that’s bitter and divided:

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says his players will have to be charged up physically and mentally for the two Rugby Championship Tests against New Zealand. He named 37 players for the two sold-out Tests – at Ellis Park on the 31st of this month, and a week later in Cape Town. Steven Kitshoff, Jaden Hendrikse, and Canan Moodie are included in the squad. Erasmus says they realise the importance of giving everything in these matches to keep alive their hopes of winning the title for the first time since 2019.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-83-cents and the euro at 19-rand-83-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-22-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-671-dollars-78-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-513-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-12-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….