News 15:00

BULLETIN 18 July 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Parliament’s secretary says the seventh Parliament is more pluralistic to represent South Africans better
# COGTA proposes national disaster grants for municipalities
# And, rugby: Reds believe they can beat Wales in the final tour match

# Parliament secretary Xolile George says the Seventh Parliament’s diverse representation aims to address South Africans’ needs. He says the opening of Parliament comes on an important day as the world commemorates International Mandela Day. George also says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s address continues to mark 30 years of democracy. He expressed confidence in Parliament’s efficiency:

Meanwhile National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza has confirmed the MK Party as the official opposition in Parliament, a decision made by the Rules Committee last night. Didiza says MK has risen to become South Africa’s third-largest party, overtaking the EFF after the general elections:

# The case of a Johannesburg student accused of murdering Sandton teacher Kirsten Kluyts has been postponed to 16 August for pre-trial hearings in the High Court. Bafana Mahungela faces charges of premeditated murder, attempted rape and aggravated robbery. Kluyts, who was pregnant, was murdered at George Lea Park in October last year. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Phindi Mjonondwane says the state has received the outcomes of DNA tests:

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa will propose that the national government allocate disaster grants to municipalities for natural disaster response. This follows recent veld fires in KwaZulu-Natal that killed 14 people and destroyed hundreds of homes. The province lacks funds to address these disasters. Hlabisa plans to approach the National Treasury, advocating for a conditional grant specifically for disaster-related expenses. This proposal aims to ensure municipalities have the necessary resources to manage and mitigate the impact of natural disasters effectively.

#  Rugby: Australia’s Queensland Reds believe they can beat hapless Wales in a tour match in Brisbane tomorrow. The Welshman have lost their nine previous matches, including the two Tests against the Wallabies, and have slipped out of the top ten of the world rankings for the first time ever. Tomorrow’s match at the Suncorp Stadium will be the final one of the season for both teams. Reds head coach Les Kiss realises Welsh coach Warren Gatland is desperate for victory, and expects a good match.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-22-cents and the euro at 19-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-481-dollars-78-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-463-dollars-15-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-88-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….