News 17:00

BULLETIN 29 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mbalula accuses Zuma of undermining the ANC’s integrity
# Four people are due in court tomorrow after the deadly tavern shooting in Orkney
# And, Olympic Games: South Africa hopes Smith and Coetze will add to the country’s medal tally tonight

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula accuses former president Jacob Zuma of undermining the party’s integrity and campaigning against the party while claiming to retain membership. In a media briefing, Mbalula confirmed that the national disciplinary committee found Zuma guilty of misconduct, with expulsion as the chosen sanction, though he can appeal the decision. He condemned the MK Party leader for undermining electoral and judicial systems, inciting unrest, and aiding right-wing opposition to ANC values:

# Four people arrested in connection with Saturday’s deadly shooting at a tavern in Orkney, North West, are expected to appear in the local Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. The accused are all nationals from Lesotho. Two women and six men were killed during the attack in Kanana, while several people were wounded. The attackers also robbed patrons of their cellphones, and fled with cash, the CCTV system and a snooker table. Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone says the four face charges including murder and attempted murder.

# Electricity and Energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says his department is working to reduce electricity inequality. Updating the media on the power crisis, Ramakgopa highlighted efforts to resolve load-reduction issues. The minister reiterated that outdated infrastructure, illegal connections, and lack of maintenance lead to demand exceeding capacity. He says this disproportionately affects the poor, perpetuating energy inequality:

# The South African Institution of Civil Engineering urges commitment to fair tender pricing to ensure the quality and integrity of engineering projects. SAICE president Andrew Clothier highlights the pressure on engineers to reduce fees, despite adherence to gazetted rates. He says this compromises project feasibility and risk management. CEO Sekadi Phayane-Shakhane advocates for reinforcing fee guidelines and fair tender practices to uphold professional integrity and the financial health of engineering firms.

# Olympic Games: South Africa hopes for another two medals tonight after the Blitzboks secured bronze on Saturday. Swimmers Tatjana Smith and Pieter Coetze are both competing in finals – Smith in the 100-metre breaststroke, and Coetze in the 100-metre backstroke. Both have a very good chance, with Smith winning silver in the item at the previous Games in Tokyo, while 20-year-old Coetze set a new Africa record in the semifinal. Coetze’s race starts at 9.19 tonight, and Smith’s six minutes later.

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-885-dollars-24-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-395-dollars-32-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-98-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….