News 15:00

BULLETIN 17 Julie 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Madlanga commission reissues a subpoena to the IDAC head
# A report shows failed food safety laws in Gauteng’s informal sector
# And rugby: The Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off this weekend

# The Madlanga commission has issued a fresh subpoena to the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, Andrea Johnson. Spokesperson Jeremy Michaels confirmed she has returned to work after being admitted to hospital. The commission is investigating allegations of abuse of power linked to Crime Intelligence investigations and claims Johnson shielded Major-General Feroz Khan in an assault and intimidation case. Michaels says a new appearance date will be announced soon:

# The Pan South African Language Board has condemned accent-based profiling amid ongoing immigration tensions. Speaking to the SABC, PanSALB CEO Keaobaka Seshoka said language is not a valid indicator of nationality and warned against judging people’s citizenship by their accent. She said accents must never be criminalised, as many African languages cross borders, and urged respect for multilingual rights and dignity for all regardless of their accent or mother tongue:

# Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has found that Gauteng municipalities failed to enforce food safety laws in the informal sector. More than 16-thousand-240 food vendors are reportedly non-compliant with regulations, while the province has only 30-percent of the required environmental health inspectors. Gcaleka said these failures may have compromised consumer safety. She also cited non-compliant school feeding schemes, and evidence of possible business fronting and fraud, involving some spaza shop operators:

Moving abroad:

# Iranian state media ​and a Syrian military source say Iran struck eastern Syria earlier today, in the first ‌known attack by Tehran on Syrian territory since the Middle Eastern war erupted earlier this year. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they had attacked a US special operations ​command centre in Syria in retaliation for the ​killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr. A Syrian military source told Reuters ​Iran had carried out an attack near Tanf, but ​it had not hit the base itself. 

# Rugby: The Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off this weekend with the Pumas hosting the Sharks at the Mbombela Stadium at 5. Defending champion Griquas start their campaign in Cape Town against the Stormers-23 at 7:05. The Currie Cup First Division semi-finals will be decided tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm when Eastern Province hosts the Valke in Gqeberha, and SWD Eagles welcome the Leopards to George. Last year’s champions, the Griffons, failed to qualify for the playoffs.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-50-cents and the euro at 18-rand-86-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-87-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-992-dollars-72-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….