News 06:00

BULLETIN 19 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The portfolio committee on the Police is concerned about the plan against extortion
# Cricket: Afghanistan beat South Africa for the first time
# And the Weather Service warns of adverse weather patterns this weekend

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Police says it is perturbed by a largely thin and unimaginative plan to counter extortion in the country. Yesterday, the committee received a briefing from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure on plans to counter the growing threat of extortions in the country. Committee chairperson Ian Cameron says while the plan by NATJOINTS identifies the emergence of a new trend of criminality targeting small foreign-owned shops, the taxi industry, households, and schools, it is silent on preventative measures to counter the trend.

# Retired chief justice Raymond Zondo has condemned efforts to damage the reputation of former Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, who passed away after a battle with cancer. Speaking outside Gordhan’s home in KwaZulu-Natal, Zondo praised Gordhan’s role in the fight against state capture, dismissing unfounded corruption allegations against him. A special official funeral takes place today at the Durban International Convention Centre:

# The City of Johannesburg has initiated a rigorous collection campaign this month to recover one-billion-rand in outstanding municipal debt. This effort targets high defaulters across various categories, including service providers, landlords, and property owners with unpaid bills. Measures include deducting debts from service payments and pursuing legal actions. The city’s Virgil James urged residents to settle their bills through various payment methods to avoid service disconnection: 

# At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 were injured when walkie-talkies detonated across Lebanon. This comes after pagers belonging to members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded across the country on Tuesday, killing 12 people, including two children, and injuring nearly three-thousand. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for Tuesday’s attack and has pledged to retaliate. Israel has regularly carried out strikes in Lebanon in response to the launch of Hezbollah drones and missiles. It has also targeted senior Hamas officials in Lebanon. 

# Cricket: Afghanistan beat South Africa by six wickets in the first of three one-day internationals at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. Wiaan Mulder’s career-best 52 was not enough as Fazalhaq Farooqi took four wickets to dismiss the Proteas for 106. In reply, Gulbadin Naib scored an unbeaten 34 as the home side secured victory with 144 balls to spare. This is the first time Afghanistan has beaten South Africa in any format. The second ODI will be played at the same venue on Friday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-53-cents and the euro at 19-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-316-dollars-28-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-557-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Weather Service has warned of significant weather changes this weekend. A Spring cut-off low will bring cold, wet, and windy conditions, with snowfall expected in southern and eastern parts of the country. KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Free State, and Gauteng will experience a dramatic shift after a recent heatwave. The public and farmers are urged to prepare for adverse conditions as temperatures drop significantly from today onwards.

Stay tuned for more news………….