News 07:00

BULLETIN 19 October 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula says the ANC’s court case was about fairness in the electoral process
# Fanni Masemola returns as National Police Commissioner today
# And rugby: The Cheetahs suffer a narrow defeat against Bayonne

# ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says their Constitutional Court challenge was never to win a privilege for the party, but to widen the door so that no party or independent candidate is kept off the ballot paper by a requirement that no law prescribes. He is back at work after collapsing following the ruling in the ANC’s favour over 181 councillor candidates excluded from the local government elections. Speaking at Luthuli House yesterday, Mbalula emphasised that the focus is now on campaigning for the elections:

# EFF leader Julius Malema has reiterated that his party would join the Government of National Unity if the DA and the Freedom Front Plus are not part of it. He was campaigning in Soweto yesterday. The ANC Youth League has called for the removal of the DA from the GNU, while suggesting that the EFF could take its place. Malema stated that the EFF wants to use government power to improve the lives of black South Africans and deliver the programmes it advocates:

# National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola returns to work today after president Cyril Ramaphosa lifted his precautionary suspension. This follows the National Prosecuting Authority’s withdrawal of criminal charges against him in September. Masemola was suspended in April over alleged failures to oversee a 360-million-rand police health services contract awarded to Medicare24. The NPA found no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution. Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane served as acting commissioner during his suspension.

# The Afrika Mayibuye Movement is calling for urgent reforms to improve women’s access to land. This follows parliamentary findings that fewer than 35-percent of women surveyed owned land, compared with more than half of men. The movement wants a national audit of women’s land access, stronger tenure protection and support for women-led farming businesses. It is also calling for investment in irrigation, agricultural training and rural markets to create jobs and strengthen women’s economic independence.

# Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has described the death of four service members over the weekend as “one of the worst tragedies for the military on the country’s soil in peacetime”. A fire swept through Canadian Armed Forces Base in Wainwright, Alberta, one of the country’s largest and busiest military bases, leaving four dead and dozens seriously injured. The blaze ignited within the base’s training area before spreading rapidly. Carney says he has requested a detailed account from military officials on the ground about what happened:

# Rugby: The Cheetahs suffered a narrow 29-27 defeat to French side Bayonne at the Stade Jean-Dauger in their opening round of the European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup. The hosts led 22-13 at the break, but a strong fightback left the Bloemfontein-side just two points behind going into the game’s final stages. However, the Cheetahs were not clinical enough to force the victory, but did secure a losing bonus point. The Cheetahs next host the Dragons at their adopted home ground, St Helen’s in Swansea, Wales, on 13 December.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-46-cents and the euro at 18-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-414-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-175-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 109-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….