News 08:00

BULLETIN 29 August 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Prosecuting Authority will oppose Zuma’s appeal to have Downer removed
# The DA says Lesufi’s crime-fighting tactics are not working
# And boxing: Parliament calls for a forensic probe into Boxing SA

# The National Prosecuting Authority has submitted a notice of intention to oppose former president Jacob Zuma’s latest application to have state prosecutor Billy Downer removed from his arms deal corruption case. Zuma is due back in the Pietermaritzburg High Court today for what is meant to be a pretrial hearing in the case. However, the hearing is likely to be delayed as the former president’s legal team revives his bid for Downer’s removal. NPA’s spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, says Zuma’s appeal has no prospect of success:

# The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has assured that the Eskom revenue application is currently under internal compliance evaluation. This follows a newspaper article where NERSA’s head of electricity regulation, Nhlanhla Gumede, claimed that a misinterpretation of the law led to excessive electricity tariff increases. Nersa’s spokesperson Charles Hlebela says Gumede’s views are personal and do not reflect the regulator’s official position: 

# The DA in Gauteng says residents continue to be in danger of serious crimes despite premier Panyaza Lesufi’s pronounced crime-fighting tactics. According to Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya, the first quarter crime statistics of the 2024/2025 financial year, show the province remains South Africa’s crime hub. The DA’s, Michael Sun, says this shows that Lesufi’s technology-driven crime-fighting initiatives, such as the implementation of drones, helicopters, panic buttons, and CCTV cameras, are not achieving the desired impact in addressing crime:

# Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov has been charged in France with facilitating criminal activities on the messaging platform. The Russian-born billionaire, who is also a French national, has been granted bail on condition that he report to a police station twice a week and does not leave France. The 39-year-old is accused of operating a platform that is being used for child sexual abuse material and by organised crime gangs, for drug trafficking and fraud. Durov has denied the allegations.

# Boxing: Parliament’s portfolio committee on Sports, Arts and Culture has called for a forensic investigation into the affairs of Boxing South Africa. Litigation in the matter of former CEO Moffat Qithi cost the BSA 12-million-rand, which also resulted in it owing the South African Revenue Services 4.5-million-rand. Its budget was also exhausted in December, three months before the end of the financial year. The committee has resolved that in 21 days Sports minister Gayton McKenzie will present a plan of action as an initial step in improving BSA’s situation.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-80-cents and the euro at 19-rand-83-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-52-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-66-dollars-51-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-513-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….