News 15:00

BULLETIN 12 September 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SARS processes 4.1-billion-rand in two-pot withdrawal applications
# Taliep Petersen’s murder mastermind, Najwa Dirk, is granted parole
# And, motorsport: Adrian Newey says he weighed up many options before deciding on Aston Martin

# The South African Revenue Service has received 161-thousand-607 tax directive applications for the two-pot retirement system. This amounts to a total of 4.1-billion-rand. SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter explained that pension contributions are taxed upon withdrawal at the individual’s marginal tax rate. Fund administrators are expected to submit tax directives via eFiling, determining how much tax should be withheld. If a taxpayer owes SARS, the debt is added to the tax on the withdrawal, unless a payment arrangement exists. Deferred tax debts are also not immediately deducted.

# Najwa Dirk, who was convicted of orchestrating the 2006 murder of her husband, music icon Taliep Petersen, has been granted parole after 18-years. Her release, pending strict parole conditions, may face appeal from Petersen’s family. Dirk’s parole follows extensive evaluations of her mental and emotional state. A community imbizo in Athlone, Cape Town, is expected to discuss her parole. Dirk remains in the city’s Pollsmoor prison, with the Department of Correctional Services yet to confirm the official decision.

# Godfrey Lebeya says the Hawks continue to rid the streets of drugs which destroy families, especially young people who are the future leaders. The head of the Hawks was speaking during a joint media briefing on the countrywide operations the past month. He says in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, 30-million-rand worth of cannabis and cannabis related products were seized during an operation by the Hawks this week:

# Gauteng recorded the highest rate of personal property theft in South Africa during the 2023/’24 financial year. According to Statistics South Africa’s Victims of Crime Survey, presented to Parliament, Gauteng’s theft rate is nearly three times higher than Limpopo’s. Crimes included housebreaking, hijacking, assault, and sexual offences. Notably, 46-percent of victims knew their perpetrators, with many crimes committed by friends, relatives, or partners. Only 34.7-percent of sexual offence victims received counselling, while 65.3-percent did not.

# Motorsport: Renowned Formula One designer Adrian Newey says he was approached by many teams before deciding to join Aston Martin. The 65-year-old British engineer is regarded as the greatest designer in the sport’s history. He left Red Bull after 19 very successful years and says he is ready for the next chapter:

# And, the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-99-cents and the euro at 19-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-and-1-dollar-34-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-515-dollars-18-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….