News 14:00

BULLETIN 7 September 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The High Court dismisses Mapisa-Nqakula’s discharge bid
# The Huguenot Tunnel reopens to all vehicles after the wind caused chaos
# And cricket: A strong Australian squad announced for the blockbuster three-Test tour of South Africa

# The High Court in Pretoria dismissed former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s application for a discharge under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act. She faces 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering. Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly received 4.5-million-rand in kickbacks from Defence Force contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu between 2016 and 2019, when she was minister of Defence. Judge Mashudu Munzhelele ruled the state’s evidence warrants calling her to testify:

# DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says turning around struggling metros will require first stabilising finances and fixing basic services including potholes, street and traffic lights. He told the SABC major infrastructure repairs will require billions of rand. The party is targeting voter trust and support in major metros including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay and eThekwini. Hill-Lewis says restoring confidence could attract businesses, investment and property growth:

# Motorists travelling between Cape Town and the Cape Winelands can breathe a sigh of relief as the Huguenot Tunnel has reopened to all vehicles. The tunnel on the N1 was closed on Friday due to strong winds sweeping the Western Cape, before reopening to light vehicles only on Saturday. The Western Cape government confirmed restrictions for heavier vehicles, caravans and trailers have now been lifted. The nearby Du Toitskloof Pass however remains closed, while Bainskloof Pass is open to Class 1 vehicles only.

# Union GIWUSA is calling on government to immediately publish a comprehensive national climate emergency preparedness plan for the expected impact of the super El Niño weather pattern. The South African Weather Service has warned South Africa is likely to experience below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures this spring as a strong El Niño develops in the Pacific Ocean. GIWUSA president Mametlwe Sebei says heatwaves will accelerate evaporation and increase water demand:

# Cricket: Australia has announced a strong 16-player squad for next month’s three-match Test series in South Africa. Captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon will lead the bowling attack, while Steve Smith leads the batting line-up. Out-of-form batter Marnus Labuschagne has kept his place in the squad, with Cooper Connolly, Michael Neser and Matthew Kuhnemann also included. The series will mark the first time Australia’s Test side returns to South Africa since the infamous 2018 ball-tampering saga. 

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-97-cents and the euro at 18-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-62-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-416-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-397-dollars-37-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….