News 14:00

BULLETIN 21 July 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister John Steenhuisen calls for an overhaul in the approach to foot-and-mouth disease
# Golf: Scottie Scheffler is just one major away from a career Grand Slam
# And the Gauteng Arts and Culture Department assures the Mandela House Museum will not be liquidated

# Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has called for urgent reform in the approach to foot-and-mouth disease, warning that outdated systems and poor coordination have left the livestock sector vulnerable. In his keynote address at the foot-and-mouth disease indaba in Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Steenhuisen said the recent outbreak exposed critical failures, including vaccine shortages and weak movement controls. He announced steps to regionalise disease control, co-finance vaccine supply with industry, and invest in rural infrastructure:

# Business Leadership South Africa has expressed disappointment with Standard & Poor’s decision to downgrade Transnet’s credit rating. The ratings agency made its conclusion based on Transnet’s significant debt and negative operating cash flow. The organisation claims the rating is a result of years of weak leadership, union militancy, and government bailouts. CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says Transnet is seemingly resisting change and moving too slowly. This compares to Eskom, which has been able to stabilise its operating performance and is pushing forward with fundamental reforms.

# The Gauteng Education Department has allocated 2.9-billion-rand of its 68-billion-rand budget for the 2025/26 financial year towards creating safer schools. The department’s comprehensive approach to creating safe schools includes security deployment to over one-thousand-500 schools, and pro-poor interventions ensuring economic circumstances don’t become barriers to education. MEC Matome Chiloane says schools must be sanctuaries of safety and centres of community.

# Golf: World number one Scottie Scheffler will attempt to complete the career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday at next year’s US Open. The American won his fourth major at the Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland yesterday. He now has the opportunity to join Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as the only players to win a career Grand Slam. Scheffler says he is not motivated by breaking records:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-73-cents and the euro at 20-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-728-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-365-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Gauteng Arts and Culture Department says the Mandela House Museum in Soweto will not face liquidation. This follows criticism from Soweto Tourism over delays in resolving the matter. The key heritage site has faced liquidation threats for over five years. MEC Matome Chiloane told SABC News talks with liquidators are ongoing to preserve this iconic landmark that depict Mandela’s family life from 1946 to ’62:

Stay tuned for more news………….