News 16:00

BULLETIN 6 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC criticises the media focus on police rather than criminals
# Home Affairs plan to verify a Miss SA contestant’s eligibility
# And, cricket: Coach Conrad backs Tristan Stubbs as the Proteas’ number 3 batter

# The ANC’s national executive committee has criticised the media for misrepresenting police actions rather than focus on criminals who provoked the situation. The NEC lekgotla briefed the media on crime, service delivery, and local government issues. NEC member and Police minister Senzo Mchunu commended the police for intercepting a planned cash-in-transit robbery in Khayelitsha yesterday. Mchunu defended the police, who were met with gunfire while conducting a search, resulting in several deaths: 

# Home Affairs has confirmed a process to verify Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s eligibility as a South African will begin soon after obtaining consent from her relatives. This comes amid discussions about her eligibility to represent the country due to her family’s foreign descent. Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber told Newzroom Afrika that Adetshina’s relatives requested the department to clarify the issue:

# South African banks are revisiting reverse mortgages. Water Financial recently announced issuing 30-thousand tokenised preference shares to raise 30-million-rand, offering retirees a financial vehicle to cover living costs without losing their homes. The tokens will trade on Mesh.trade, a new platform for tokenised assets. The loan-to-value amount ranges from 10- to 50-percent. Reverse mortgages allow retirees to access home equity without monthly repayments, repaying loans upon selling, moving, or death. This initiative aims to meet the growing demand from pensioners for income supplements.

# Cricket: Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad believes inexperienced Tristan Stubbs has it in him to become a fantastic number three Test batter. He will be given the role in the first of two Tests against the Windies, starting in Trinidad tomorrow. White-ball captain Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi will open the batting for South Africa. Conrad says although 23-year-old Stubbs has only played one Test so far, he has a good aura and strong body language:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-47-cents and the euro at 20-rand-15-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-42-cents and Bitcoin trades at 55-thousand-342-dollars-61-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-408-dollars-21-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

# And, the Western Cape government has offered Zip Zap Circus a new site at the Artscape Theatre Centre’s Plaza forecourt in Cape Town. After 16 years at The Dome in the Founders Garden, Zip Zap’s lease is expected to end next year. Founder Brent van Rensburg says the new Zip Zap Arena will cater to circus arts and other art forms like drama, ballet, dance, and opera. The new design of the arena will resemble a traditional circus tent with a modern twist. The total project will cost almost 100-million-rand.

Stay tuned for more news………….