News 06:00

BULLETIN 21 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Three persons of interest are being questioned in connection with the Ekurhuleni murders
# A South African investigative journalist is missing in Djibouti
# And rugby: Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende won’t play against the Wallabies

# Acting minister of Police Firoz Cachalia has confirmed that three suspects have been taken in for questioning in connection with the murders of nine women in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, over the past two months. Of the nine recovered bodies, one remains with no missing person case reported. Authorities have warned against speculation and unverified claims circulating on social media. Cachalia says preliminary investigations have not conclusively found that there is a serial killer in Ekurhuleni:

Meanwhile, the South African Police Service’s Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have been called up to assist with the investigation into the Ekurhuleni murders. A high-level, multidisciplinary team has been tasked with investigating the murders. At the same time, police have offered a 400-thousand-rand reward for information that could help them make progress in the investigation. Cachalia says both human and financial resources are being used to get a breakthrough:

# South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy and his local “fixer” Kooki Mahmoud have reportedly gone missing in Djibouti, East Africa. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the two men, who have not been heard from since midday on Saturday, are still being established. Reddy is the Africa coordinator at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. He was supposed to leave the country today. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on authorities to clarify their whereabouts and ensure their safety immediately.

# Public Service Commission chairperson Somadoda Fikeni says the new Public Service Commission Act will strengthen the commission’s independence from government departments. Addressing the media, Fikeni says the commission will have an independent secretariat and expanded powers to investigate governance. Its mandate will also cover local government, state-owned companies and other state entities. Fikeni says the changes will allow the commission to investigate governance failures independently, rather than relying on ministers:

# Zimbabwean communities have been urged to prepare for the El Niño drought threat before the impacts are felt. In drought-prone Chiredzi, solar-powered irrigation, climate information and climate-smart farming are helping strengthen food security. The UN World Food Programme says three solar-powered boreholes are supporting a three-hectare community garden. Meanwhile, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati, has emphasised the protection of crops, livestock, water resources and food supplies through coordinated action to build resilience.

# Rugby: The experienced pair of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende will not feature in the Springboks’ one-off Test against Australia in Perth on Sunday. They have been released from camp after a demanding workload. Coach Rassie Erasmus says the travelling squad has sufficient cover for the match against the Wallabies. The match will be significant for both sides, with the 2027 World Cup set to be hosted in Australia, where the Boks will face Italy in their opening clash in Adelaide on 3rd October.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-24-cents and the euro at 18-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-166-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-377-dollars-22-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 104-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….