News 13:00

BULLETIN 10 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Firoz Cachalia says the government is determined to tackle gang violence and organised crime
# Twelve people are killed in Russia and five in Ukraine as the two countries continue to trade strikes
# And, light snowfall, rain and freezing temperatures are affecting parts of the N3 Toll Route

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia says increased measures have been rolled out to combat organised and violent offences, encompassing both gang criminality and illicit narcotics. Yesterday he visited the scene in Reiger Park, Ekurhuleni, where two civilian women and two members of the Anti-Gang Unit were killed on Friday night. Cachalia says gangsters are heavily armed and are showing no mercy:

# The ANC Women’s League has called for discretionary funding to be made available for the implementation of the declaration of gender-based violence and femicide as a disaster.  President Cyril Ramaphosa classified GBVF as a national disaster last year. He has also appointed members to the new National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. ANCWL acting president Nokuthula Nqaba says government must also make funding available for survivor support services, prevention programmes and improved oversight:

Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus says the November local government elections afford women the opportunity to decide who should represent them. Women make up the majority of South Africa’s population. The FF Plus says the country’s everyday reality is marred by crime, poor service delivery, unsafe schools, and water and electricity problems. It says politics requires strong, principled and practical women. The party adds that women should lead from the front, vote in line with their convictions and elect leaders committed to advancing their interests.

# A Ukrainian drone strike has killed at least 12 people and injured 39 others in the city of Nizhnekamsk in Russia’s Tatarstan region this morning. The city is the site of a major, technologically advanced oil refinery, the likely target of the strike. Moscow says it shot down 456 Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says that continuing strikes on oil refining facilities were directly linked with putting more pressure on Russia to end the war. Meanwhile, at least five people died in a Russian strike on Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

# Soccer: Golden Arrows and Sekhukhune United have booked a place in the MTN8 semifinals. Arrows claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 15-time champions Kaizer Chiefs at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. Sekhukhune defeated AmaZulu 4-3 in extra time at the Chatsworth Stadium in Durban, putting them into the final four of the MTN8 for the second successive season. The semifinals will see defending champions Orlando Pirates, who are aiming for a fifth consecutive crown, take on Sekhukhune United, while Mamelodi Sundowns have been drawn against Golden Arrows.

# And finally: The N3 Toll Concession says the combination of increased traffic volumes, adverse weather conditions, and ongoing construction activities will most likely result in slower travelling conditions and possible delays. This as the Women’s Day long weekend draws to a close today, with heavy traffic already being experienced northbound towards Gauteng. N3TC chief operating officer, Thania Dhoogra, says a dusting of snow has been reported around Swinburne in the Free State, with rain and sleet affecting areas between Mooi River and Warden in KwaZulu-Natal:

Stay tuned for more news………….