News 18:00

BULLETIN 22 August 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party unveils its national high command as its top decision-making body
# Cabinet urges men to sign Ramaphosa’s pledge against gender-based violence
# And, Botswana unveils the biggest diamond ever found in the country

# The MK Party has announced its new highest decision-making body, called the national high command. Key figures include party leader Jacob Zuma, deputy president John Hlophe, national chairperson Nkosinathi Nhleko, and national organiser Floyd Shivambu. Briefing the media, secretary general Sfiso Maseko says the command will oversee the party’s growth and strategies as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections: 

# Cabinet is urging men to sign president Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge against gender-based violence. This call to action is part of government’s ongoing efforts to address and eradicate gender-based violence and femicide. Briefing the media, minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, calls on men to foster a culture of respect and accountability, urging them to actively support initiatives to end violence against women and children:

# The South African Military Health Service, in collaboration with the South African Navy, has welcomed the Chinese hospital ship, Peace Ark, to Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. The ship, docked from today until next Thursday, is part of the joint humanitarian exercise Mission Harmony, aimed at strengthening military and diplomatic ties. The service’s spokesperson, Phillip Makopo, says the ship with over 100 medical personnel will offer various health services, including surgeries and medical care to local communities: 

# Tennis: Italian Jannik Sinner and Poland’s Iga Swiatek are the top seeds for the US Open which starts in New York on Monday. All the top players entered the year’s fourth and final Grand Slam tournament. Among the men, Novak Djokovic of Serbia is seeded second, followed by Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, German Alexander Zverev and Russian Daniil Medvedev. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is the women’s second seed, followed by local player Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and Italian Jasmine Paolini.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-3-cents and the euro at 20-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-61-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-578-dollars-38-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-476-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Botswana has announced the discovery of a two-thousand-492-carat diamond, potentially the largest ever found in the country and the second-largest globally. The rough diamond was unearthed by Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation at the Karowe Mine and recovered intact using X-ray technology. This find highlights Botswana’s prominence in the diamond industry. The gem is being showcased today.

Stay tuned for more news………….