News 16:00

BULLETIN 19 August 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa’s food inflation hits the lowest level since 2010
# Cape Town sets out the rules and fines for election posters
# And rugby: Jaco Peyper backs the referees for the All Blacks series to be fair

# South Africa’s food inflation has fallen to its lowest level since 2010. Statistics South Africa says food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation dropped to 0.9-percent last month, helped by lower prices for meat and cereal products. Some beef products, maize meal and white bread became cheaper. Spokesperson Patrick Kelly says prices for processed meats, fish, oils and dairy products increased:

# Energy regulator Nersa has approved a two-year special electricity pricing agreement between Eskom and Manganese Metal Company in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. The agreement, which runs until July 2028, gives the company a special base electricity tariff. Nersa’s Charles Hlebela says the utility will also have to submit regular reports to the regulator on the agreement’s costs, electricity use and economic benefits:

# The City of Cape Town says political parties may now display election posters and swivel banners, with 11 weeks to the local government election. Rules allow one party poster and one event poster per streetlight pole, mounted on a board and not larger than 0.9- by 0.6 metres. Swivel banners are only permitted on approved poles after a free application. The city says illegal posters must be removed within 48-hours, or they will be removed and the party charged.

# The human ancestral remains of 84 Namibians including two former political prisoners held on Robben Island are being repatriated to Namibia today. The two political prisoners, Simon Petrus Niilenge and Festus Nehale, passed away in exile and were buried in Cape Town’s Gugulethu and Maitland cemeteries. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, in partnership with Iziko Museums of South Africa and the Namibian government, hosted the ceremony in Cape Town. Government says the occasion will advance cultural restitution, restore dignity and address the legacy of historical injustice. 

# Rugby: The Springboks’ laws advisor, Jaco Peyper, backs the four referees appointed for the series against the All Blacks to be fair. The former Test referee says England’s Matthew Carley and Karl Dickson, Nika Amashukeli of Georgia and Angus Gardner of Australia are all experienced, have been very fair over the past year and pride themselves on their impartiality. Peyper says Carley, who will handle Saturday’s first Test at Ellis Park, will be firm and will deal with the breakdown and anything that is negative or cynical.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-22-cents and the euro at 18-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-441-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-370-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….