News 14:00

BULLETIN 30 July 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..In this bulletin:

# ANC veterans say the ANC will be held liable for the MK Party’s registration
# TLU SA urges for the protection of agricultural land from destructive mining activities
# And rugby: The URC keeps growing with a new viewing record

# ANC Veterans League deputy president Mavuso Msimang has blamed the party for negligence, allowing the registration of the MK Party. This follows former president Jacob Zuma’s expulsion for endorsing the MK Party, with 21 days to appeal. Msimang argues that the ANC should have swiftly prevented the party from using the name uMkhonto weSizwe, the ANC’s military wing:

# The agriculture organisation TLU SA says it is concerned about the increasing number of mining applications targeting agricultural land. The organisation’s Bennie van Zyl says this situation requires immediate government attention. He says TLU SA remains committed to the conservation of agricultural land and the protection of communities against the harmful impact of uncontrolled mining:

# The City of Cape Town says the continued abundance of illegal firearms is a cause for concern. Law Enforcement Advancement Plan members recovered five illegal firearms in just 48 hours over the weekend, bringing the tally to seven for the past week. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the city’s enforcement agencies also made 289 arrests, up from 245 the previous week:

# Rugby: The United Rugby Championship’s 2023/’24 season shattered the previous television audience, improving from 37.4-million in 2023 to 47.7-million this year. Over 1.1-million people watched Glasgow Warriors beating the Bulls in the final, while over 947-thousand viewers tuned in when the Bulls played Leinster in the semifinal at Loftus. The competition also recorded a three-percent rise in overall attendances at stadiums, growing to 1.69-million. Round nine saw a new record of 146-thousand spectators at eight matches in South Africa, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

#The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-30-cents and the euro at 19-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-54-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-522-dollars-80-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-389-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the Department of Social Development has reaffirmed its commitment to combat human trafficking, focusing on safeguarding children. This comes as the globe commemorates World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. The department emphasises community involvement, international cooperation, and leveraging technology to prevent child trafficking. It calls for urgency to prevent trafficking as the Human Sciences Research Council estimates there are 250-thousand victims in South Africa.

Stay tuned for more news………….