News 16:00

BULLETIN 11 September 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Bafana Mahungela is found guilty of murdering Kirsten Kluyts
# ActionSA challenges the appointment of the Johannesburg Public Safety Head
# And: America marks 25 years since the 9/11 attacks

# The High Court in Johannesburg has found Bafana Mahungela guilty of murdering Delta Park High School teacher Kirsten Kluyts during a MyRun event in Parkmore, Sandton, in October 2023. Mahungela was also convicted of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted rape and defeating the ends of justice. Judge Ian Cox said the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, rejecting Mahungela’s version of events. The matter heads now for pre-sentencing procedures:

# ActionSA has called for urgent provincial intervention over the appointment of Lesiba Malotana as Head of the City of Johannesburg’s Public Safety Department. The party says Malotana was red-flagged during vetting and remains linked to unresolved allegations surrounding the Tembisa Hospital matter. ActionSA Johannesburg Caucus Leader Marcel Coutriers says the appointment undermines public trust and is calling for a Section 106 investigation and possible court action:

# The Special Investigating Unit has secured a provisional order freezing three properties and five vehicles linked to an allegedly four-million-rand fraudulent KwaZulu-Natal library project. The assets belong to Liyabongeka Trading Enterprise and its owner, Thabile Jacqueline Xaba. The SIU alleges procurement and contractual irregularities, fraudulent invoices and payments for services not delivered. The project in Ntunjambili was halted during the Covid-19 lockdown and remained incomplete. Xaba and her company are due before the Special Tribunal on the seventh of October to oppose permanent asset preservation.

And news from abroad:

# The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001. Ceremonies are being held in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, with victims’ names read out and moments of silence observed. A new moment of silence has been added this year to remember people who later died from illnesses linked to exposure to toxic dust after the attacks. President Donald Trump is attending a ceremony at the Pentagon, while families and survivors continue to honour those lost.

# Soccer: France’s governing body, the FFF, has withdrawn its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid next year. He was heavily criticised over his aborted plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. European body UEFA, Asia’s AFC and North American governing body CONCACAF have called for Infantino to step down, but he retains the backing of South America’s CONMEBOL and African governing body CAF. FFF president Philippe Diallo has called for a fundamental reform of FIFA’s governance:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-12-cents and the euro at 18-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-390-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-357-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-6-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….