News 18:00

BULLETIN 21 August 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula asks court to declare Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma defamed him over conference bribery claims
# SAPS Brigadier Dineo Mokwele will focus on healing following the withdrawal of the corruption case
# And, the Forum for South Africa demands stronger interventions to reduce the cost of living

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has asked the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to declare that Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma defamed him with claims that he handed out money to delegates at the party’s 2022 conference. Mbalula has denied the claims, saying they have damaged his reputation and wants Dlamini-Zuma to apologise and withdraw the allegations she made during a podcast interview:

# SAPS Brigadier Dineo Mokwele has welcomed the withdrawal of fraud and corruption charges against her, and six co-accused at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. The National Prosecuting Authority formally withdrew all charges linked to Mokwele’s appointment. Mokwele thanked her family, friends, investigators and the Madlanga Commission for their support, saying the chapter has ended. She says she will focus on reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future abuse of power:

# The Forum for South Africa is demanding stronger interventions to reduce the cost of basic food and essential household goods, improve energy security and address the affordability of electricity. Statistics South Africa reports that consumer inflation declined from 5.0-percent in June to 4.3-percent in July this year. Forum leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, has cautioned government against treating the decline in the headline inflation rate as evidence that the cost-of-living crisis has been resolved:

# The bodies of two Belgian hikers who disappeared in the Swiss Alps 34 years ago, have finally been identified after a melting glacier exposed their remains. The men, who were 39 and 41 respectiveliy when they vanished in 1992, had been hiking near the Weissmies mountain. A hiker discovered human remains on the Trift Glacier on 26 July. DNA testing confirmed their identities. Swiss authorities say such discoveries are becoming increasingly common as glaciers retreat, revealing the remains of people who disappeared in the mountains decades ago.

# Soccer: The new season of the English Premier League gets underway this evening, with reigning champions Arsenal taking on newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium in London. The two other promoted teams will be in action tomorrow. Hull City takes on Manchester United, and Ipswich Town faces Sunderland. Ten-time champion Manchester City, under new manager Enzo Maresca, will open its campaign against Bournemouth on Sunday. Another new manager, Andoni Iraola, will lead Liverpool for the first time against Newcastle United.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-994-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-598-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 95-dollars-7-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….