News 12:00

BULLETIN 13 July 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Matlala will now face trial following his withdrawal from the plea agreement
# The Hawks reject claims of a probe into the acting national police commissioner
# And rugby: The Junior Bok coach is expecting a tough and physical semifinal clash against England

# The National Prosecuting Authority describes alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s decision to withdraw from his plea and sentence agreement as a setback. He planned to plead guilty to corruption, money laundering, and fraud linked to a 228-million-rand contract police awarded to his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District. Matlala rejected the state’s proposed 12-year prison sentence. NPA spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, says he will now go on trial with the 16 other accused:

Meanwhile, the Hawks have strongly dismissed reports that it is investigating acting national police commissioner, Puleng Dimpane. Public Interest SA lodged a criminal complaint against Dimpane, alleging she violated the Public Finance Management Act linked to the controversial Medicare24 contract. The Hawks say the complaint has been referred to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, but this does not amount to the registration of a criminal case or the initiation of an investigation.

# Business Leadership South Africa says the country is on the brink of widespread municipal collapse, with local government politicians largely being a serious part of the problem. This follows National Treasury’s decision to withhold the July equitable share transfer from 69 municipalities over financial mismanagement. BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says municipal collapse, now hitting three of South Africa’s eight metros, Johannesburg, Mangaung and Nelson Mandela Bay, directly reflects a failure of leadership and accountability. She says this municipal crisis accentuates the urgent need to drive on with general municipal reform.

Union federation SAFTU has meanwhile expressed outrage that municipalities are deducting more than 1.7-billion-rand from workers’ salaries, but the money never reaches their pension funds. This is one of the key reasons the transfers were withheld. SAFTU’s Asive Dyani says there cannot be one law for private employers and another for municipalities:

# Rugby: Junior Springbok coach, Kevin Foote, says they have prepared well for tonight’s Junior World Championship semifinal against England in Tbilisi, Georgia. He has made four changes to the side that defeated Wales in their final Pool A encounter, with six forwards and two backs on the bench. Foote says they have selected an exciting team and a combination best suited to their game model against a very good English side:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-34-cents and the euro at 18-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-971-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-76-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….