News 18:00

BULLETIN 26 August 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SAFTU says the government-business partnership will further undermine the interests of the workers and the poor
# The ANC MP, Nomasonto Motaung, is elected as chairperson of Parliament’s Agriculture portfolio committee
# And, the royal guards perform Dolly Parton’s hit song as a tribute to the beloved singer

# The South African Federation of Trade Unions has criticised president Cyril Ramaphosa’s launch of Phase Three of the Government-Business Partnership, describing it as an intensification of corporate influence over the government. The third phase of the partnership will focus on accelerating economic growth and expanding employment opportunities. SAFTU’s Asive Dyani says workers are expected to accept the consequences of economic decisions negotiated between government and business while their organisations remain outside the room:

# Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture has elected ANC Member of Parliament Nomasonto Motaung as its new chairperson. Motaung succeeds acting chairperson Nobuhle Nkabane, who took over after Dina Pule was appointed Social Development minister in June. The former Deputy minister in the Presidency says agriculture is critical to food security, economic growth, job creation and rural development. She has pledged to lead the committee fairly and focus on the needs of farmers, agricultural workers and communities.

# Johannesburg Water says the city is using about 200 megalitres more water per day than its supply target, putting pressure on the system. Speaking to ENCA, Manager Gugulethu Quma says daily demand is averaging one-thousand-700 to one-thousand-750 megalitres against a target of one-thousand-500 to one-thousand-550 megalitres. He says the City is conserving water in reservoirs overnight and throttling supply to preserve levels for daytime use in homes, businesses, schools and hospitals:

# Golf: PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp says there are currently no plans to reintroduce the Returning Member Programme, which five-time major champion Brooks Koepka utilised to return from LIV Golf. With LIV’s future in doubt, the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith might be looking for a return next year. Rolapp says several factors will have to be considered while weighing whether to allow LIV players to return:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-96-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-531-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-624-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

# And finally, thousands of fans have left flowers, balloons and cards at the home of American music icon Dolly Parton, who died aged 80 in Tennessee yesterday. Cancer was earlier revealed as the cause of her death after she kept the diagnosis private. Parton wrote over three-thousand songs and sold over 100-million records through a career spanning seven decades. Tributes poured in for the beloved musician, with the royal guards at Buckingham Palace in London performing her hit song “Nine to Five” during today’s Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Stay tuned for more news………….