News 11:00

BULLETIN 5 September 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity says the Labour minister must explain her disregard of a court order regarding racial quotas
# The DRC has declared an Ebola outbreak, with 15 deaths recorded
# And tennis, defending champion Sabalenka will face Anisimova in the US Open women’s final

# A contempt application by Solidarity has resulted in an interim order, requiring minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, to appear before the Johannesburg Labour Court in November. She will be required to explain why she disregarded a court order regarding racial quotas in the workplace. Solidarity’s Anton van der Bijl says minister Meth’s publication of racial regulations in the Government Gazette in April this year is in direct conflict with the settlement reached between the government and Solidarity in June 2023:

# National Assembly Speaker, Thoko Didiza, says she is still considering the MK Party’s motion of no confidence against president Cyril Ramaphosa. The motion was tabled last month in the wake of allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi against Police minister Senzo Mchunu. This happened as the party had approached the Constitutional Court to revoke the appointment of professor Firoz Cachalia as acting police minister. The MK Party, which lost its challenge in the apex court, wants a secret ballot when the motion is voted for.

# ActionSA in Gauteng has criticised Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela’s suggestion that taxi and e-hailing operators should apply for operating permits before purchasing vehicles. The party says this ill-considered proposal is both impractical and out of touch with the realities faced by operators and commuters alike. ActionSA’s Emma More says operators cannot provide full compliance details, such as vehicle specifications and registration numbers, without first purchasing the vehicles:

# Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have declared an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Kasai Province. Twenty-eight suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, have been reported in Bulape and Mweka. The country’s last Ebola outbreak was in April 2022. The World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, doctor Mohamed Janabi, says they are acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities:

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka will get the opportunity to defend her US Open title when she takes on American Amanda Anisimova in the women’s final tomorrow. The Belarusian came from a set down to beat American Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka will attempt to become the first player to win consecutive US Open women’s singles titles since Serena Williams took three straight wins between 2012 and 2014. Amanda Anisimova defeated Japan’s Naomi Osaka in three sets to make her first final at Flushing Meadows.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-70-cents and the euro at 20-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 112-thousand-146-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-552-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-48-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….