News 15:00

BULLETIN 17 July 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# BOSA says the murder crisis in South Africa is like wartime
# Rugby: Two Scots will represent their country before joining the Lions in Australia
# And Harry Potter actress Emma Watson is banned from driving for six months

# Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane has slammed president Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to tackle the country’s murder crisis. Speaking in Parliament, Maimane said the over 26-thousand murders last year resemble a warzone. He urged Ramaphosa to take decisive action, saying coffins could stretch from Hyde Park to the Union Buildings. Maimane emphasised immediate action following KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations against Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s criminal links:

# The DA says it will ensure rural safety reforms are implemented despite resistance from the Freedom Front Plus. The party has criticised the FF Plus, along with the EFF and MK Party, for voting against a crucial parliamentary report addressing farm attacks and rural crime. The DA’s Willie Aucamp says although Parliament has adopted the report, political grandstanding will not be allowed to derail efforts to make rural communities safer:

# Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the South African Property Owners Association’s attempt to stop the metro’s pro-poor budget is to protect their own vested interests, and puts their profits ahead of the city’s residents. He says this is in response to SAPOA’s pending High Court application for a review of the city’s linking of certain fixed charges to property value:

# Rugby: It will be a busy few days for two Scottish players who will represent their country before joining the British and Irish Lions in Australia. Loosehead prop Rory Sutherland and hooker Ewan Ashman were included in Gregor Townsend’s squad for tomorrow’s Test against Samoa in Auckland, New Zealand, from where they will travel to Melbourne for the Lions’ clash with the First Nations-Pasifika team on Tuesday. Townsend strengthened Scotland’s team with five new players in the starting-15 after last weekend’s loss to Fiji.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-91-cents and the euro at 20-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-186-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-325-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-90-cents a barrel.

# And finally: British actress Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after she was caught speeding. Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film franchise, drove just over 60 kilometres per hour in a 50-kilometre zone. She already had nine points on her licence before the speeding incident occurred. The 35-year-old, studying a master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Oxford since 2023, also had to pay a fine of 25-thousand-rand. She launched her own sustainable gin brand with her brother in 2023.

Stay tuned for more news………….