News 14:00

BULLETIN 13 October 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Thabo Mbeki Foundation’s CEO warns against a proposed Afrikaner resettlement plan
# Rugby: Saracens releases a player in the Stokes controversy
# And a Breaking Bad actor dies at the age of 34

# The Thabo Mbeki Foundation’s CEO, Max Boqwana, has warned proposals to establish a separate settlement for Afrikaners in South Africa could fuel conflict. Speaking on the African Renaissance podcast, Boqwana discussed a memorandum submitted to US president Donald Trump by the Solidarity Movement in February last year. He argues establishing separate communities risks deepening divisions, and the engagement should prioritise South Africa’s economic development:

# A security analyst says former deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya’s dishonourable discharge will affect his pension, leaving him without monthly payments. He had been stripped of his rank after resigning amid disciplinary proceedings. Sibya also faces criminal charges of rape, human trafficking and sexual grooming. The Institute for Security Studies’ Willem Els says the sanction is among the most severe available and reflects the seriousness of Sibiya’s misconduct:

# Higher Education minister Buti Manamela says South African universities must serve society, encourage independent thinking and prepare students for the future. Speaking at a national webinar, he identified funding, student debt and governance as key challenges. Manamela calls for sustainable university funding, wider access to education, and better preparation for a world shaped by artificial intelligence. He also stresses the need to strengthen African knowledge and protect academic freedom. Manamela says government, universities, students and society must work together to decide what needs to change in higher education.

# Rugby: English club Saracens had released academy player Totoa Auvaa with immediate effect after an incident in St Albans over the weekend. It says the 21-year-old Samoan forward’s conduct fell short of the standards expected of its players. Auvaa was also involved in a nightclub altercation in June involving England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson in which a member of the team’s security staff was injured. Stokes and Atkinson were later cleared of violent conduct, but received warnings for breaching team rules.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-48-cents and the euro at 18-rand-43-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-330-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-182-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

# And finally: American actor RJ Mitte, best known for playing Walter White Junior in the television series Breaking Bad, has died aged 34. His representatives confirmed his death but did not disclose the cause. Mitte, who had cerebral palsy, drew on his own experiences to portray the son of drug kingpin Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston. Beyond acting, he championed disability rights and worked to improve representation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry. He also appeared in the series Switched at Birth and the film Triumph.

Stay tuned for more news………….