News 15:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 15 August 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Floyd Shivambu announces his departure from the EFF to join the MK Party
# The review board revokes parole for the convicted child killer Marius van der Westhuizen
# And, cricket: Morné Morkel gets a high-profile job as India’s bowling coach

# EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu has announced his departure from the party to join former president Jacob Zuma’s MK Party. He has requested to be released from all his duties within the EFF and Parliament, saying this change will allow him to contribute more effectively to the political landscape through MK. Briefing the media, Shivambu reiterated his commitment to revolutionary politics and economic freedom: 

# The Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board has revoked the decision to grant parole to Marius van der Westhuizen, who was convicted of murdering his three minor children. He was scheduled for release on 31 July after serving 13 years of a 24-year sentence. Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, welcomed the decision, stating the need for parole system reforms to protect society’s most vulnerable. Groenewald requested the review after he was appointed in cabinet.

# The case against 95 Libyan nationals has been withdrawn in the White River Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga. The Libyans, arrested at a military training facility last month, will be handed over to the Home Affairs Department for deportation. They were charged with entering South Africa with visas obtained through misrepresentation. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Monica Nyuswa says all charges have been dropped:

# Pressure is building for a Gaza ceasefire to be agreed at talks set to resume in Qatar today. In a veiled warning to Iran, Hamas and Israel, United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said no party should take actions that would undermine efforts to reach a deal. US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have invited Israel and Hamas for negotiations aimed at ending the war. The conflict has already drawn in Iran-aligned groups from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria.

# Cricket: Former Protea fast bowler Morné Morkel’s appointment as bowling coach of India is described as the most high-profile job of his coaching career. He joins head coach Gautam Gambhir and his assistants, South-African-born former Dutch allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate and former Indian player Abishek Nayar. Morkel retired as player in 2018 after 86 Tests, 117 one-day internationals and 44 T20s. His coaching career includes stints with the New Zealand national women’s team, Pakistan’s men’s team, and the Indian Premier League.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-98-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-12-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-492-dollars-63-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-458-dollars-3-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….