News 11:00

BULLETIN 21 July 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC has reportedly proposed a two-stage system for the impeachment committee
# Over six-thousand state-owned homes for government officials are under investigation
# And soccer: Spain is back on top of the world rankings, while Norway reaches a new high

# The ANC has reportedly proposed a two-stage process for Parliament’s impeachment committee. The Western Cape High Court will this week deliver its ruling on president Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent application, seeking that the committee’s proceedings be halted, pending a review of the Section 89 independent panel’s report. According to News24, the ANC wants the committee to first consider existing judicial decisions that have made legally binding or consequential determinations against Ramaphosa. It says then the committee can decide as to whether it should proceed with the full-blown trial.

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson has ordered an investigation into more than six-thousand-200 state-owned homes occupied by government officials. He has also requested a plan to identify properties that are no longer needed and could be sold, redeveloped or removed from the state’s portfolio. Macpherson says selling unnecessary properties will reduce costs and allow government to focus more resources on service delivery:

# Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the High Court in Johannesburg’s granting the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit a final order, permanently seizing 326-million-rand in assets linked to corruption-accused businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela. The seizure is tied to the Tembisa Hospital tender fraud and the 2021 assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran. Spokesperson Foster Mohale says this is just the beginning of a process to confiscate all assets of everyone involved in the looting:

Moving abroad:

# The United Nations has expressed concern over fresh threats by Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia, and freedom of navigation in the crucial shipping lanes of the Red Sea along Yemen’s coast. A full closure of Bab el-Mandeb could cut global oil supply by seven-percent. The Houthis’ armed forces have imposed a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in north-western Yemen. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stresses immediate de-escalation is essential:

# Soccer: Spain has reclaimed the top spot in the world rankings after beating Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup. Argentina slipped to second place while France, beaten by England in the third-place play-off, is third. England and Brazil round up the top five. Morocco is the highest-ranked African nation in sixth place, while South Africa has moved up six places to 54th. The biggest climber in the rankings is Norway, moving 12 places to 19th after reaching the quarterfinals for the first time.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-43-cents and the euro at 18-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-9-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-881-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-77-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….