News 08:00

BULLETIN 19 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul Mashatile postpones his appearance in the Council of Provinces
# Mac Maharaj says Pravin Gordhan was concerned about the state-capture figures still in the ANC
# And rugby: The Springbok Women is gearing up for the Spain test

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile’s scheduled question-and-answer session in the National Council of Provinces today has been postponed. This comes after he had a health scare when he collapsed while delivering an address in Tzaneen, Limpopo on Saturday. His office says the deputy president has been advised to take a week off his official duties to rest and recuperate. Mashatile was expected to answer questions in the NCOP about extortion, service delivery challenges, revitalising or growing the manufacturing sector, and the centralisation of state-owned enterprises.

# Anti-apartheid activist and longtime friend, Mac Maharaj, says the late Pravin Gordhan was frustrated by the ANC’s tolerance of many state-capture figures, who remain in leadership positions in the party. The former Public Enterprises minister passed away in hospital last Friday and his funeral will be held today. Speaking at an ANC memorial service for the late former minister in KwaZulu-Natal, Maharaj says Gordhan was serious about the renewal of the ANC:

# The MK Party in the Western Cape says it will work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the former City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for Human Settlements, Malusi Booi, faces the full might of the law. The former DA councillor and nine others are accused of unlawfully awarding 850-million-rand worth of tenders to three companies belonging to alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield and his wife. The MK Party says Booi’s actions have tarnished the reputation of the province’s legislature and undermined public confidence in their leaders.

# The White House says the US was not involved in a series of deadly attacks in Lebanon. At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 injured after walkie-talkies detonated in Lebanon yesterday. This comes a day after a wave of pager explosions killed at least 12 people and injured nearly three-thousand. The attacks were targeted at members of the militant group Hezbollah. US National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, says they are deeply concerned over the prospect of tensions escalating in the region:

# Rugby: The Springbok Women face Spain in a crucial Test at DHL Stadium in Cape Town today. Team captain Nolusindiso Booi cites their 59-17 win over the Barbarians as a confidence booster. Meanwhile, assistant coach, Franzel September, views today’s match as a benchmark after a 15-13 loss in Valladolid earlier this year. He also called for support for the team:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-52-cents and the euro at 19-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-14-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-142-dollars-97-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-563-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….