News 13:00

BULLETIN 21 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fadiel Adams corrects his testimony before the Madlanga commission
# Mayor Hill-Lewis says Cape Town is South Africa’s city of hope
# And soccer: Banyana Banyana’s opponents for the World Cup play-offs are confirmed

# National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams has corrected aspects of his testimony before the Madlanga commission. He acknowledged meeting Witness G before travelling to Orlando police station in Gauteng. Adams opened a case alleging abuse of a police slush fund and wanted the political killings task team disbanded. He also clarified his views on Lieutenant-General Peter Jacobs and police dockets, citing reliance on evidence by Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule:

# Grain SA says almost 700-million-rand could be lost across the soybean value chain because of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s approach to calculating location differentials. The organisation estimates a single-reference-point system could result in average transport deductions of 333-rand a tonne, compared with 113-rand under its proposed multi-reference model. Grain SA says the difference could ultimately reduce farmers’ earnings and increase costs for processors and consumers. The organisation is challenging the JSE’s decision through legal and other processes.

# Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says Cape Town has become a beacon of hope for South Africa over the last five years, with record infrastructure investments driving 50-percent of all job growth in the country’s metros. He delivered his final address to council for the term. Hill-Lewis highlighted the record 12.2-billion-rand infrastructure spending, gains in public safety, including the deployment of over one-thousand-300 additional municipal police officials, and investments in surveillance technology:

Moving abroad:

# The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on ten individuals alleged to be part of a network responsible for transferring cash to Hezbollah. This was allegedly done by couriers travelling on commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The Office of Foreign Assets Control says the network allowed the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group to obtain foreign currency and dodge sanctions outside the formal banking system. The department has also redesignated Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy.

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana will face Chinese Taipei, Ecuador and Uzbekistan in the preliminary phase of the intercontinental play-offs for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. South Africa earned their place in the play-offs after their campaign in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where they overcame Nigeria to keep their World Cup dream alive. The play-off matches will be played in November and December. Banyana’s coach, Desiree Ellis, says it’s not an easy draw, but doable provided they get off to a good start.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-2-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-897-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-583-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 94-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….