News 17:00

BULLETIN 17 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Former Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula admits she failed to declare a ‘wig’ gift
# AfriForum welcomes the US action targeting politicians over alleged rights violations
# And rugby: Three returning Boks are included in the Stormers’ squad for the new season

# Former Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula maintains that a wig mentioned in WhatsApp exchanges with military contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndlovu was a genuine gift and not a coded reference to money. She was questioned in the High Court in Pretoria about why she repeatedly referred to the wig in messages with the contractor. Testifying via an interpreter, Mapisa-Nqakula also admitted she failed to declare the gift but denied receiving any unlawful gratification from Ntsondwa-Ndlovu:

# AfriForum says it’s happy about the latest US action against South Africa, because it won’t hurt ordinary citizens, only politicians and others accused of serious human rights abuses against minorities and Afrikaners. This includes calls for violence against Afrikaners and farmers, and land expropriation without compensation. The organisation’s Kallie Kriel says the government ignored proposals from AfriForum and Solidarity to resolve the dispute, and must now take the blame:

# Financial services group Momentum has achieved its seven-billion-rand headline earnings target a year ahead of schedule. The group reported earnings of 7.06-billion-rand for the year to June, up 13-percent from the previous financial year. CEO Jeanette Marais says every business unit delivered a profit for the first time, with five divisions each contributing more than one-billion-rand. She adds improved operational performance, rather than market effects, drove the results. The group increased its full-year dividend by 31-percent to 230-cents per share.

# Rugby: Springboks Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi and Wilco Louw were included in the Stormers’ squad for the 2026/27 season on their return from spells away. Head coach John Dobson announced 56 players for the step towards Project 2029, when they aim to win the Champions Cup. Centre Ruhan Nel will captain the squad, comprising of 15 Boks, Oli Kebble, who played Tests for Scotland, and Gary Porter, who represented Zimbabwe. The Stormers kick off their United Rugby Championship campaign against Connacht in Ireland next Friday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-23-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-92-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-669-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-373-dollars-53-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 103-dollars-16-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Buckingham Palace has rejected claims by the late Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, in his forthcoming memoir about events following her death in 1997. He alleges then-Prince Charles told him Diana would soon be forgotten. This happened during an argument over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. The palace says grief can affect memory and judgment, effectively challenging Spencer’s account. The memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, due to be published next week, has reopened tensions between Spencer and the royal family.

Stay tuned for more news………….