News 15:00

BULLETIN 29 July 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Andrea Johnson concedes Masemola was wrongly included in Matlala’s SAPS-Medicare24 court case
# Sizakhele Dyantyi is appointed as the Western Cape’s new police commissioner
# And rugby: Ackermann is relishing the Bulls’ clash against the All Blacks 

# The former head of the Investigating Directorate against Corruption, Andrea Johnson, has conceded suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola should not have been grouped with controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and other accused in the SAPS-Medicare24 corruption case. She was questioned by the Madlanga commission’s chairperson. Mbuyiseli Madlanga says the Public Finance Management Act charges against Masemola were separate from the fraud and corruption charges against the other accused:

# Lieutenant-general Sizakhele Dyantyi has been appointed as new Western Cape police commissioner. He succeeds Lieutenant-general Thembisile Patekile, who retired last month after four decades of service. Dyantyi, who joined the South African Police Service in 1992, has served in several senior leadership roles. He officially assumes office on Saturday. Dyantyi says he will strengthen evidence-based law enforcement, focusing on the safety and security of communities:

# Agriculture union TLU SA voiced its support for Grain SA’s opposition to the proposed soybean location differential, warning that it could unfairly reduce farmers’ incomes. The location differential is a price-adjustment linked to where crops originate and the distance to delivery points. The organisation’s Bennie van Zyl says producers should not bear additional financial burdens that threaten the sustainability of grain farming:

# Emergency services remain on high alert as severe weather continues to affect KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The South African Weather Service says an orange level 6 warning for disruptive rainfall and flooding remains in place for parts of KwaZulu-Natal. At the same time, the Eastern Cape is under an Orange Level 5 warning for disruptive snowfall. The service urges residents to avoid unnecessary travel, monitor weather updates, and take precautionary measures as emergency teams respond to flooding and snow-related disruptions.

# Rugby: Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says their clash against the All Blacks will provide the perfect test as they continue their build-up to the season. New Zealand will launch their Greatest Rivalry Tour against the Stormers in Cape Town next Friday before taking on the Bulls in Pretoria on August 15. Ackermann says the fixture demands juggling their preparations for the United Rugby Championship and ensuring they are ready for the All Blacks. He adds the match will be a priceless experience, particularly for the younger players.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-75-cents and the euro at 19-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-26-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-459-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-32-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….