News 07:00

BULLETIN 14 September 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula questions Andile Lungisa’s court challenge against the ANC
# A task team will investigate possible links between the murders of four women in Kempton Park
# And, Trump calls on Zelensky to halt striking Russian diesel refineries

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has questioned National Executive Committee member Andile Lungisa’s decision to institute legal action against the party. This comes after his name was removed from the list of proportional representative councillors in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the Eastern Cape for the local government elections. Several candidates from six municipalities in the province have also been excluded after the ANC missed the IEC’s deadline. Lungisa alleges that Mbalula personally instructed that his name be removed. Mbalula says Lungisa knows how to raise issues of this nature.

# The DA has hit back at the ANC’s criticism of Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube, rejecting claims of political interference. The party’s Jan de Villiers says minister Gwarube is doing her job by probing governance concerns, protecting public funds and ensuring textbooks reach classrooms in 2027. He also dismisses the ANC’s claim that Gwarube has halted textbook procurement as false:

# The MK Party is reportedly facing a financial crisis that could prevent it from holding its manifesto launch ahead of the November local government elections. Senior party insiders told the Sunday Times that the party’s financial problems had deepened after control of its finances was centralised. In July, MK Party president Jacob Zuma took charge of the finances after revoking all signing authority on the bank accounts from all party officials. Insiders say the financial problems could affect the party’s ability to run an effective election campaign.

# Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner, Fred Kekana, says a multidisciplinary task team has been established to investigate possible links between the bodies of four women found in Kempton Park on the East Rand. The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found naked near the R-21 on 15 July. The second victim, a 32-year-old, was discovered on 24 August. The body of an unidentified woman was found in an advanced state of decomposition on 10 September. Kekana says the fourth body was found on 12 September:

# US president Donald Trump has called on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to stop striking Russian diesel refineries, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. Kyiv has been targeting Moscow’s oil and gas industry with long-range strikes, prompting fuel rationing and causing Moscow to ban diesel exports in July. Russia has ramped up its air campaign in recent weeks, using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, targeting Ukraine’s power grid. Trump says there are plenty of other targets Zelensky can hit:

# Motorsport: Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Spanish Grand Prix to extend his drivers’ championship lead, with nine races remaining. The Italian benefitted from pit-stop misfortune for McLaren’s Lando Norris to claim his eighth victory of the season. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished second, Norris third and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth. Antonelli is now 81 points ahead of teammate George Russell, who finished fifth, and 101 clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who retired early in the race with brake failure.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-17-cents and the euro at 18-rand-73-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-827-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-344-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 108-dollars-54-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….