News 15:00

BULLETIN 27 October 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A former ANC security chief is linked to an alleged State Security Agency operation to spy on the EFF
# Johannesburg Water says the city may only experience relief from dry taps in three months
# And rugby: Two uncapped players are included in the All Blacks’ squad for the Nations Championship’s tour

# A former ANC security chief, Tito Maleka, has been linked to an alleged State Security Agency operation to spy on the EFF. An intelligence source, testifying in the 12-million-rand fraud trial of former agency officials Thulani Dlomo and Patrick Mshotola, told the High Court in Pretoria Maleka guided him on how to approach the agency. The witness, identified as Mr B, claims he was paid to gather information from within the EFF between 2015 and 2016.

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson has warned construction companies against misrepresenting their capabilities to secure higher industry grading. Briefing the media in Pretoria, he says inflated grades give businesses an unfair advantage and exposes public projects to unqualified contractors. Macpherson announced the removal of Moriel Infrastructure Group from its register on October 15, following an investigation into its financial and technical credentials, as well as gender-based violence involving its former executive chairperson, Lawrence Mudzinganyama:

# Johannesburg residents may wait three months for relief from dry taps. Johannesburg Water CEO Ntshavheni Mukwevho said at a community meeting in Crown Gardens short-term interventions, including pressure management stations and improved response protocols, should be completed in three months. He says long-term investment in ageing infrastructure is needed. Mayor Dada Morero insisted the city is not yet in a water crisis, saying that would be day zero.

# Rugby: All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has named a strong 36-man squad for next month’s Nations Championship Tests in Europe. Codie Taylor will captain the team against Scotland, Wales and England. Highlanders prop Saula Ma’u and Chiefs flyhalf Josh Jacomb are the only uncapped players, while several players, including Jordie Barrett and Richie Mo’unga, are back after missing out on various Tests this year. Rennie is happy with the balance of the squad:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-65-cents and the euro at 18-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-756-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-11-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 114-dollars-73-sents a barrel.

# And finally: Women and girls accounted for one in four of the more than 37-thousand civilians killed in armed conflict last year, double their share in 2021. This is according to the 2026 United Nations secretary-general’s report on Women, Peace, and Security. In 2025, the UN verified nine-thousand-788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, more than twice as many as the year before, and almost four times as many as in 2022. Meanwhile, around 170-million women and girls live in both conflict zones and extreme poverty.

Stay tuned for more news………….