News 16:00

BULLETIN 27 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Jannie Mouton Foundation offers 7-billion-rand to buy out Curro shareholders
# The GOOD Party condemns the DA’s Ian Cameron for carrying a gun to a Cape Flats visit
# And tennis: South Africa’s Lloyd Harris takes on the fourth seed Taylor Fritz at the US Open

# A trust set up by renowned businessman Jannie Mouton has offered seven-billion-rand to buy out Curro shareholders and turn South Africa’s largest independent school operator into a non-profit. The deal, paid partly in cash and Capitec shares, comes at a 60-percent premium. Curro management supports the bid, citing the move will allow the company to reinvest profits to build more schools, provide bursaries, and improve access to education. Shares jumped more than 50-percent on news of the offer.

# The GOOD Party says the DA’s Ian Cameron’s decision to carry a gun during a visit to Philippi in Cape Town is deeply disturbing. He used the gun when his vehicle came under attack during an oversight visit last week. GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron says Cameron’s actions symbolise colonial-era notions of civilised whites overpowering black savagery. Herron says if he doesn’t feel safe doing his job in black neighbourhoods, he should ask the speaker of Parliament to facilitate protection, rather than behave like a latter-day Rambo or Piet Retief. 

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia told the 27th Interpol African Regional Conference in Cape Town that transnational organised crime undermines governance, fuels corruption, and hinders development. Cachalia stressed the importance of African and global collaboration to combat illicit financial flows, strengthen Interpol central bureaus, and improve information sharing. He highlights the need to build on resolutions from the 2023 Luanda conference to protect economic development, public safety, and continental security:

# Tennis: South Africa’s Lloyd Harris will be in action on one of the main courts at the US Open in New York later today. He faces fourth-seeded local favourite Taylor Fritz in the second round. Harris’s most successful US Open appearance was in 2021 when he reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal after defeating Denis Shapovalov and Reilly Opelka before falling to Alexander Zverev. After wrist surgery and other injuries, his ranking suffered and he is now number 353 in the world.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-73-cents and the euro at 20-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 111-thousand-128-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-381-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-82-cents a barrel. 

# And finally: Standard Bank has launched its Sustainability Academy which is a free learning platform providing practical environmental, social, governance and sustainability solutions to businesses across Africa. The academy has been developed in partnership with Microsoft and Philanthrosoft. Standard Bank’s Manessah Alagbaoso says through the academy, participants gain insights into renewable energy adoption, climate-smart agriculture, carbon markets and water management innovations:

Stay tuned for more news………….