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BULLETIN 2 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Correctional Services commissioner voices serious concerns about contraband in prisons
# The UIF takes steps to eliminate long queues at service points
# And, Olympic Games: Heartbreak for Le Clos while Meder scrapes through to the semifinals

# Correctional Services commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale has raised concerns over contraband in prisons following a raid at Durban Westville. Officials seized cell phones, money, and drugs, including dagga and heroin. This follows similar raids that occurred recently in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The commissioner vows to investigate how inmates obtain these items and warns that involved wardens will face dismissal:

# SA Canegrowers has expressed disappointment over sugar producer Tongaat Hulett Limited’s appeal of a ruling by the High Court in Durban. The ruling ordered the company, which went into business rescue in October 2022, to pay nearly 526-million-rand in statutory levies to the SA Sugar Association. Tongaat and the business rescue practitioners have appealed the judgment to the SCA and now have a month to submit their application. SA Canegrowers says the overdue payment of these obligations threatens the livelihoods of many in the sugar industry.

# The Unemployment Insurance Fund says it has already taken a variety of steps to eliminate long queues at service points. These include implementing a free Unstructured Supplementary Service Data or USSD platform, and a data-free UIF mobile application which can be used to access UIF services from anywhere. UIF spokesperson Trevor Hattingh says the fund’s governance structures have been conducting inspections at local service points and engaging with clients:

# Olympic Games: South Africa’s Rebecca Meder scraped through to the semifinals of the 200-metre individual medley. She ended fourth in her heat, but finished in the 16th fastest time. The 16 fastest swimmers in the five heats qualified for the penultimate round, taking place just after nine o’clock tonight. The final will be tomorrow night. Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh posted the fastest time. She already clinched gold in the 200-metre butterfly and the 400-metre individual medley.

Chad le Clos of South Africa failed to qualify for the semifinal of the 100-metre butterfly. The silver medallist in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 came second in his heat, but only mustered the 24th fastest time, with only the 16 fastest swimmers going through. Compatriot Matthew Sates also didn’t qualify. Sates earlier also failed to advance to the semifinal of the 200-metre butterfly, while Le Clos didn’t compete in the item he won in London.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-17-cents and the euro at 19-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-374-dollars-83-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-463-dollars-83-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….