News 06:00

BULLETIN 20 October 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says advancing early learning is a shared national responsibility
# Thabo Mbeki says apartheid-era cases must follow legal processes
# And, a Kenyan cult leader is found guilty of the murder of 190 children

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says expanding access to early learning is a development priority and a way of addressing historical inequalities. This week, the second Bana Pele Leadership Summit is taking place in Gauteng, which aims to mobilise and strengthen collaboration to accelerate progress towards universal access to quality early learning by 2030. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa says the reforms the government have embarked upon in early learning are part of a broader effort to renew South Africa’s socio-economic architecture. He adds that advancing early learning is a shared national responsibility.

# Former President Thabo Mbeki says apartheid-era cases must be handled through the proper legal and constitutional processes. Testifying before the Khampepe Commission in Johannesburg, Mbeki denied that there was a general amnesty agreement or secret deals to stop prosecutions. He says decisions on whether to prosecute rest with the National Prosecuting Authority, not politicians. Mbeki also warned that introducing a new amnesty process could undermine accountability and the rights of victims:

# A forensic expert told the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court a simulation involving an aggressive push appeared consistent with the physical evidence surrounding Anele Tembe’s fatal fall. Tembe, the fiancée of the late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, died after falling from the tenth floor of a Pepperclub Hotel in April 2021. Testifying at the inquest, forensic analyst Jeremy Philander said tests using dummies matched to Tembe’s weight showed that a strong push was consistent with the evidence, while a slip or slight jump was not.

# The Western Cape government calls on the national government to take urgent action to address ongoing medicine shortages nationwide. The shortages are linked to manufacturing problems, supplier constraints and delays in imports and medicine testing. Health and Wellness MEC Mireille Wenger says better coordination between national and provincial health departments is needed to prevent shortages. Wenger advised patients not to stop or change their medication without consulting a healthcare professional:

# A Kenyan High Court found cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 co-accused guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult. Prosecutors argued that Mackenzie and ⁠his Good News International Church ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death, so they could go to heaven before the end of the world. Handing down the judgment, Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache said Mackenzie’s teachings and his associate pastors led followers to adopt an extreme belief system that rejected government policies and violated basic human rights. Sentencing will be on November 6.

# Cricket: Australia is in control of the second Test, with South Africa at 95 for five at stumps on day two in Gqeberha. Heavy overnight rain allowed play to only resume at 3.45 pm yesterday, six hours after the scheduled time. Resuming on 20 for two on day two, the Proteas quickly lost three wickets, while captain Temba Bavuma and Ryan Rickelton shared a 52-run fifth-wicket stand. About 145 overs have been lost in the Test so far, but minimal rain is forecast over the next few days.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-41-cents and the euro at 18-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-964-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-136-dollars-22-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 110-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….