News 15:00

BULLETIN 29 October 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The City of Tshwane confirms a SARS operation involving its financial official Gareth Mnisi
# South African Airways is under pressure to find a buyer as Treasury tightens its conditions
# And rugby: The Bulls’ captain is cleared after his red card against Ulster

# The City of Tshwane has confirmed the South African Revenue Service searched the office of its chief financial official, Gareth Mnisi. The search took place at Tshwane House, with acting city manager Musa Khumalo granting SARS access to Mnisi’s office in his presence. Mayoral spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi says the matter remains with SARS’s search and seizure unit, and the city will not comment further while the investigation is underway:

# Western Cape police commissioner Sizakhele Dyantyi says investigations have been intensified into deadly taxi-related shootings across Cape Town. The violence is linked to route disputes between rival associations CATA and CODETA. Dyantyi says increased police presence had been deployed are along affected routes, including the R300 and Samora Machel:

# Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile says the department will not tolerate gender-based violence against learners by educators. He was speaking outside the Protea Magistrate’s Court during the appearance of a Soweto teacher accused of raping a Grade 4 girl. Maile confirmed the teacher’s precautionary suspension. The case has been postponed to Tuesday. Maile says schools must remain safe spaces for children:

# National Treasury has given South African Airways until February to find a strategic equity partner, warning no further state support will be available once its current one-billion-rand loan guarantee expires. Treasury says the airline has yet to draw on the guarantee and must identify non-core assets for sale to strengthen its finances. SAA says the search for a strategic partner is being led by its shareholder, while it engages potential lenders. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse blames political interference and poor leadership for the airline’s ongoing financial challenges.

# Rugby: Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee was cleared by a United Rugby Championship disciplinary committee following his red card for a dangerous cleanout against Ulster lock Ben Donnell last weekend. The flanker was initially sent off with yellow, which was upgraded to red after a review. The committee found their was indeed foul play, but the head contact wasn’t intentional and the yellow card was sufficient punishment. Coetzee is therefore available for Saturday’s URC match against Scarlets at Loftus.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-63-cents and the euro at 18-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-33-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-31-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 115-dollars-8-sents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….