News 18:00

BULLETIN 22 July 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa cautions EFF leader Malema against playing the man rather than the ball
# Farmers call for consultation on the agricultural master plan
# And, Olympics: Lyles is the favourite to complete the sprint double in Paris

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has cautioned EFF leader Julius Malema to focus on constructive debate rather than playing him as the main man. In response to Malema’s remarks during the opening of Parliament address debate, Ramaphosa accused Malema of being misinformed about the history of the mining sector, including the National Union of Mineworkers. He emphasised a development-focused mindset for progress:

# Farmers are concerned about minister John Steenhuisen’s agricultural master plan, citing a lack of consultation. The plan aims to boost inclusive growth, competitiveness, and employment in agriculture. Critics, including associations TLU SA and Saai, argue the plan reflects outdated ANC policies and was developed without adequate farmer input. They call for a focus on profitability and sustainability, urging Steenhuisen to engage directly with farmers across regions before finalising the plan. They worry that transformation goals remain unclear and potentially problematic.

# The South African National Council for the Blind is deeply concerned about reports of extortion against people with disabilities in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. People with disabilities have reportedly been targeted and extorted in exchange for protection. Executive director Lewis Nzimande says the issue has been known for some time, but police assistance has been lacking. The council is urging immediate action to support and protect these vulnerable people.

# Olympics: Noah Lyles is the favourite to complete the sprint double in Paris. The American world champion ran a personal best of 9.81 seconds at a Diamond League meeting in London to win the 100 metres gold over the weekend, while South African Akani Simbini took second. Lyles won the 100 and 200m golds at the Budapest world championships last year and says he can’t wait for the Olympics:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-28-cents and the euro at 19-rand-88-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-60-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-135-dollars-53-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-392-dollars-93-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the South African Human Rights Commission in Mpumalanga has urged the government to accelerate the eradication of pit latrines and bucket toilets. Statistics South Africa reported over 17-thousand households still use these unsanitary systems. SAHRC provincial manager Eric Mokonyama expressed concern over the violation of residents’ rights to a healthy environment. A stakeholder engagement on eradicating pit toilets in public schools is planned for next Monday. Human Settlements MEC Speedy Mashilo is urged to collaborate with municipalities and provide a detailed plan to resolve the issue.

Stay tuned for more news………….