News 14:00

BULLETIN 1 October 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An additional firearm charge is added to Sibiya’s case
# Home Affairs unveils the first digital ID prototype
# And the rand crashes through 16-rand-60-cents to the dollar

# State prosecutors have added an additional charge against deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya amid his bail application in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court in Gauteng. The charge of unlawful storage of a firearm relates to a firearm found in his vehicle during his arrest. Sibiya already faces charges including rape, human trafficking and sexual grooming. The state is opposing bail, while the defence is challenging the charges and the investigation. Sibiya is also expected to face a police disciplinary committee on Monday.

# Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber has announced the first working prototype of a digital ID, demonstrating it live with his own details at Constitutional Hill. The smart IDs remain available, while the digital IDs will use biometric verification and let citizens monitor access to their data. Schreiber also confirmed green identity documents will no longer be produced after March 31 next year, and will stop being valid identification from March 2028:

# Government has confirmed that 53 affected families will travel to Angola today as part of South Africa’s delegation for the Angola Exile Repatriation Project. Spearheaded by the SA Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the programme aims to trace, exhume and repatriate the remains of an estimated five-thousand liberation heroes who died in exile between 1976 and 1992. Communications head Zima Velaphi says Angola is the immediate focus of the 2026/27 programme.

# Tennis: Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz says getting rid of five-set matches would kill the legacy of Grand Slam tournaments. There is a growing debate about player workload, late finishes and the demands of the calendar. It gained momentum at the US Open last month after American Ben Shelton ended Alcaraz’s title defence in a quarterfinal match that finished at 3:33 AM. Alcaraz says the current format is an integral part of the Grand Slams’ identity:

And financial news:

# The rand has crashed through 16-rand-60-cents to the dollar, hitting its weakest level in almost two months. The dollar is strengthening as US Treasury yields rise, while higher oil prices and expectations of US rate hikes add pressure. The rand faces a fuel-price shock, with petrol and diesel prices expected to rise by about three-rand a litre next week. Economists warn this could push inflation towards five-percent and trigger another repo rate hike in November. Analysts also cite deteriorating terms of trade and fading commodity-price support.

The dollar currently trades at 16-rand-58-cents and the euro at 18-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-595-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-165-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 103-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….