News 18:00

BULLETIN 27 October 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile calls for peaceful elections and respect for the poll results
# A DA caucus leader in the Free State, Thulani Mbana, was killed in a shooting ahead of the local government elections
# And, rugby, the Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong faces a possible ban after alleged foul play

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has called on South Africans to ensure peaceful elections on 4 November, reject political violence and respect the outcome of the polls. Speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony for liberation struggle stalwart Oliver Reginald Tambo in Ekurhuleni, Mashatile said democracy thrives when people resolve political differences through debate and voting rather than conflict. He urged citizens to protect the democratic values for which Tambo and many others sacrificed their lives:

Mashatile further said South Africa’s struggle for equality remains unfinished, with poverty, unemployment and inequality continuing to affect millions of people. He called on the government and citizens to work together to address these challenges and build a united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society in line with Tambo’s vision:

# The DA demands justice following the fatal shooting of its Metsimaholo caucus leader, Thulani Mbana, in the Free State last night, a week before the local government elections. Mbana was also a councillor and previously served as mayoral committee member for Spatial Planning and Human Settlements. Provincial police commissioner Solly Lesia says the motive for the shooting remains unknown. The DA’s Roy Jankielsohn calls for those responsible to be brought to justice:

# Pope Leo the Fourteenth will return to Peru next week, where he spent decades as a missionary and bishop, as part of a tour of South America. The Chicago-born pontiff became a Peruvian citizen and is remembered for helping feed struggling families during the Covid pandemic, delivering flood relief and supporting migrants. His November sixth-to-17th visit to Peru, Argentina and Uruguay was confirmed by the Vatican on Monday. The 71-year-old pope is recovering from surgery for lung cancer, but doctors have cleared him to travel.

# Rugby: Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong has been cited for alleged foul play involving Munster’s Gavin Coombes during their United Rugby Championship match on Saturday. No conclusive video evidence was found at the time, but a citing commissioner subsequently charged Furlong under rugby’s rules on inappropriate contact. The case echoes that of Springbok front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who received an eight-week ban in 2025 after a similar allegation. Furlong’s disciplinary hearing is pending, with a lengthy suspension potentially ruling him out of Ireland’s November internationals, including the matches against the Springboks.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-64-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-886-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-33-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 116-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….