News 16:00

BULLETIN 31 July 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA calls for an independent anti-corruption commission amid the IDAC crisis
# Fikile Mbalula urges families to help repatriate exiles from Angola
# And news from the Commonwealth Games: Team SA is looking for more gold in track and field finals tonight

# The DA says government’s proposed reforms to strengthen the Investigating Directorate against Corruption are not enough. The party’s Glynnis Breytenbach says the unit’s credibility has been damaged by evidence before the Madlanga commission and cannot be restored through minor changes. She calls for an independent anti-corruption commission with constitutional protection to investigate and prosecute corruption without political interference to restore public confidence:

Meanwhile, a senior investigator in the directorate, Mantsha Raphesu, has told the commission investigators were denied access to the Section 27 referral submitted by Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams. He says unlike a previous investigation where all relevant documents were shared, investigators were told they would not receive the referral. Raphesu testified that State Advocate Drushanta Ramsamy informed the team she had been instructed not to provide the document:

# ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has appealed to families whose loved ones died or disappeared in Angola during the liberation struggle to come forward and register for government’s repatriation programme. Speaking at a briefing in Pretoria, Mbalula says government remains committed to bringing home freedom fighters who died in exile. He said honouring fallen freedom fighters means completing the work they sacrificed for, including building a non-racial and prosperous society:

# The bodies of a Zimbabwean woman and her two daughters who were murdered in Britain are expected to be repatriated on Sunday ahead of their burial in Bulawayo on Tuesday. Nothabo, Natalie and Nala Tshuma were found dead at their home in Bedfordshire earlier this month. Tshuba’s husband, Ndodana, fled to South Africa and was apprehended in Johannesburg. He abandoned his bail application in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court and remains in custody on firearm charges while extradition proceedings to the United Kingdom continue.

# Commonwealth Games: Team South Africa will hunt for more gold in Glasgow tonight with three major final appearances at Scotstoun Stadium. Sprint sensation Sinesipho Dambile headlines the evening as favorite in the men’s 200-meter after a blistering 19.82-second semi-final run. On the field, Douw Smit targets a podium spot in the men’s javelin following a massive 80.64-metre qualification throw. Para-athlete Liezel Gouws fights for medal glory in the women’s T38 long jump.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-56-cents and the euro at 19-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-23-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-672-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-51-dollars-92-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….