News 13:00

BULLETIN 29 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA questions the Defence Force chief’s official visit to Russia
# A learner transport driver is sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a nine-year-old child
# And cricket: The Windies dedicate their victory over Pakistan to the late Garfield Sobers

# The DA wants minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, to provide Parliament with answers on Defence Force chief Lawrence Mbatha’s official visit to Russia. This week’s visit aims to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries’ Defence Forces. The DA’s Chris Hattingh says in the context of Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine, an official visit to strengthen military cooperation amounts to an endorsement of Russia’s military campaign:

# The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has welcomed the legal interventions against former Transnet and Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, and former PRASA CEO Lucky Montana. A 9.9-million-rand pension clawback was enforced against Molefe. The Special Investigating Unit has frozen two multimillion‑rand properties of Montana, linked to an irregular 5.6-billion-rand PRASA security tender. The foundation’s Anele Gcwabe says this represents vital milestones:

# The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the life sentence imposed by the Pretoria Regional Court on a Mamelodi learner transport driver who raped a nine-year-old girl. Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says 41-year-old Given Mphahlele raped the child at his home in June 2021 and threatened to kill her mother if she disclosed the incident. She says the child told her mother a month later and the matter was immediately reported to police:

# The South African National Roads Agency Limited says it will revert to open tender processes for routine road maintenance and engineering consultancy services. This comes after the High Court in Pretoria declared the agency’s decision to award routine road maintenance contracts to a panel of 20 companies unconstitutional and unlawful. The tender was aimed at establishing a panel of engineering consultants for periodic and special maintenance and strengthening projects. Outgoing SANRAL CEO, Reginald Demana, says they have prepared the tender packs and are running a live proactive internal assurance process. 

# Cricket: The West Indies dedicated their victory over Pakistan in the first Test in Trinidad to former great Garfield Sobers, who died aged 89 earlier this month. The Windies posted a first innings total of 311 at the Brian Lara Stadium and restricted Pakistan to 282 before scoring 181 in their second innings. Jayden Seales took five wickets in Pakistan’s second innings, when they were bowled out for just 120, handing the hosts a 90-run victory. The final Test starts in Port of Spain on Sunday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-72-cents and the euro at 19-rand-4-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-24-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-372-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-33-dollars-53-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….