News 18:00

BULLETIN 5 August 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Business Leadership SA urges the Treasury to join a coordinated response to the trade crisis
# Gwede Mantashe urges a stronger push for the natural diamond market amid global pressure
# And tennis: Emma Raducano appoints Nadal’s long-time coach before the US Open

# Business Leadership South Africa has called for the National Treasury to be included in a coordinated response to the growing trade crisis. In her weekly newsletter, CEO Busisiwe Mavuso said urgent action is needed to support businesses hit by the 30-percent US tariffs, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape’s manufacturing and farming sectors. Mavuso welcomed the export support desk but says a trade crisis committee is needed to prevent job losses and stabilise industries.

Mineral and Petroleum Resources minister Gwede Mantashe has meanwhile called for aggressive marketing and increased production of natural diamonds to counter growing competition from lab-grown gems. Addressing stakeholders in Kempton Park, Gauteng, Mantashe warned that the tariff could weaken South Africa’s market share. He also urged open dialogue to boost beneficiation and value addition, saying natural diamonds must be promoted to preserve their cultural and economic significance:

# Electricity and Energy minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has praised the recovery of Unit 4 at Medupi power station in Limpopo, which returned to service after four years offline due to a major failure. Speaking during an oversight visit at Medupi and Matimba, Ramokgopa said the 800-megawatt unit was restored under budget by a diverse engineering team. He emphasised that taxpayers bore the cost of this electricity production. Ramokgopa called for a focus shift to electricity affordability and rooting out internal cost inflators.

# The Gauteng Health Department’s Disease Surveillance, Mashaole Makwela, says the province’s mass measles-rubella vaccination campaign will ensure learners are fully protected. According to the department, over 370 cases are currently under treatment. Speaking at Steve Biko Primary School in Orange Farm, Makwela said the campaign targets schools and informal settlements across Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni. He has encouraged parents to sign consent forms to get their children vaccinated:

# Tennis: 2021 champion Emma Raducano appointed one of Spanish maestro Rafael Nadal’s long-time coaches before the start of the US Open. The British number one and Francisco Roig worked together since after Wimbledon, and she has now appointed him on a full-time basis. Roig worked with Nadal for the majority of his illustrious career during which he won 22 Grand Slam tournaments. Twenty-two-year-old Raducano will compete in the Cincinnati Open in the run-up to the US Open, starting at Flushing Meadows in New York on the 24th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-97-cents and the euro at 20-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-85-cents and Bitcoin trades at 113-thousand-299-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-379-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-54-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….