News 12:00

BULLETIN 3 August 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Initiation deaths climb to 48 this winter
# OPEC Plus will increase oil production next month to support stability in the global market
# And rugby: The All Blacks’ stand-in captain says facing the Springboks is the biggest challenge

# The death toll from the 2026 winter initiation season has risen to 48, with Mpumalanga recording 18 deaths and the Eastern Cape 14. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs deputy minister Zolile Burns-Ncamashe says authorities are also concerned about rising fatalities in North West, reports of initiation-related abductions in Gauteng, and the spread of illegal initiation schools in the Free State. He says every initiation-related death is unacceptable, and calls for stricter enforcement to protect initiates.

# The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment is investigating reports of dead and dying sardines along the Western Cape coast from Saldanha Bay to Gansbaai. Scientists have collected samples for testing and deployed observers to assess the scale of the deaths. While a harmful algal bloom has been detected in Saldanha Bay, no cause has been confirmed. Spokesperson Zolile Nqayi urges the public not to collect, handle, or eat dead or dying fish until the investigation is complete.

Moving abroad:

# The seven member countries of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC Plus, have agreed to increase oil production next month. This is due to the continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 million barrels of oil transited before the US-Iranian war began. The oil-producing group will raise daily output by another 188-thousand barrels, its sixth consecutive agreement to increase production amid the war. OPEC Plus says this decision reflects its collective commitment to supporting stability in the global oil market.

# Rugby: Stand-in New Zealand captain Codie Taylor says they are under no illusion about the challenge of facing the world champion Springboks on home soil. He stands in until regular captain Ardie Savea links up with the team ahead of the first Test at Elllis Park on the 22nd. The All Blacks will open their eight-match tour against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday. Taylor says they are ready:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-47-cents and the euro at 18-rand-97-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-303-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-57-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Department of Health says, with it being World Breastfeeding Week, only 22-percent of babies in South Africa are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life. This is well below the World Health Assembly target of 60-percent by 2030. The department’s Foster Mohale says it is not just about reaching country and global targets, but also about supporting infant health and development, as well as maternal well-being:

Stay tuned for more news………….