News 09:00

BULLETIN 12 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Jacob Zuma Foundation says his health should not be turned into a national spectacle
# SADTU encourages matriculants to remain focused and disciplined
# And Pope Leo will undergo lung surgery

# # The Jacob Zuma Foundation has condemned what it calls a “media frenzy” fuelled by rumours, misinformation and relentless public scrutiny over the former president’s health. Eighty-four-year-old Zuma has been receiving treatment at the Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, since last week. The foundation’s Mzwanele Manyi says Zuma deserves the same dignity, privacy and consideration that should be afforded to any person facing a health challenge. His health should not become an opportunity for sensationalism:

# The DA is calling for an independent investigation into 12 disputed insolvent estates pursued by Land Bank, citing a possible conflict of interest for Angelena Poole. She is one of the two investigators appointed to examine these disputes, and has several existing professional ties to Land Bank matters. The DA’s Igor Scheurkogel says farmers deserve an investigation that can scrutinise the conduct of attorneys and liquidators without the possibility of being compromised by the investigator’s own estate responsibilities or connections with the Land Bank:

# The South African Democratic Teachers Union says the National Senior Certificate examinations represent the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, perseverance and sacrifice by learners, teachers, parents and guardians. A record 962-thousand-832 candidates are registered to sit the October/November examinations, which get underway tomorrow. SADTU’s spokesperson Nomusa Cembi says learners are encouraged to remain focused, disciplined and confident as they tackle their final exams:

# Pope Leo has revealed that he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung. The 71-year-old announced to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer on Sunday. Pope Leo says the nodule was detected at a very early stage and is well-defined. The Vatican says the expected length of recovery in hospital is about one week. A lung nodule is a small mass of dense tissue in the lung, and most are non-cancerous. 

# Rugby: Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi could see his career at the Sharks cut short, as he is awaiting a disciplinary ruling over alleged misconduct. The 35-year-old is embroiled in a months-long disciplinary hearing, stemming from an alleged breach of team rules during a pre-season team-building session. According to Rapport, Mbonambi and two other players, Eduan Swart and Trevor Nyakane, allegedly broke socialising protocols laid down by coach JP Pietersen. Mbonambi has yet to be selected by the Sharks this season amid the ongoing disciplinary process.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-48-cents and the euro at 18-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-514-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-200-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….