News 08:00

BULLETIN 3 October 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Treasury’s support is called in to find private partners for the Post Office
# The former Tshwane mayor Randall Williams criticises Cilliers Brink
# And at least six are killed in an Israeli air strike in central Beirut

# Communications and Digital Technologies minister, Solly Malatsi, says his goal is to modernise the South Africa Post Office operations, drive innovation, and increase its competitiveness. The minister has asked for the National Treasury’s support to find private partners for the Post Office, which needs a 3.8-billion-rand cash injection. It has received 10.4-billion-rand in bailouts over the last ten years. Malatsi says he is committed to exhausting all reasonable avenues to make the Post Office financially sustainable:

# Impeached former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has expressed disappointment that she lost her appeal against a decision on her Section 194 impeachment inquiry. The Supreme Court of Appeal struck off the roll, with costs, her appeal against the Western Cape High Court’s dismissal of an application to remove the chairperson of the inquiry Qubudile Dyantyi, and DA member Kevin Mileham. Mkhwebane says the SCA’s decision is not just a setback for her, but for all those who believed in her role as a protector of public rights and accountability.

# Former Tshwane mayor Randall Williams has criticised ousted mayor Cilliers Brink for taking credit for work done by his predecessors. Brink, who was removed in a motion of no confidence last Thursday, has always claimed that the metro has been better off under the coalition government. Williams says that Brink had been painted as the messiah for Tshwane, while in turn he has been portrayed as the man responsible for the financial mess the metro is in:

# An Israeli strike on a medical facility in central Beirut, Lebanon, left at least six people dead and seven injured. The medical centre belonged to the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Organisation. This is the first Israeli strike to hit the heart of the capital since the last all-out war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006. Israeli strikes were also reported in Syria, which left three dead, and Gaza, where eight were killed. United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, has condemned the broadening of the Middle East conflict:

# Golf: Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick hopes to mount a strong defence of his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title, to make a late push to qualify for the DP World Tour Play-Offs. The 30-year-old is bidding to become just the second player, after countryman Tyrrell Hatton, to win the title back-to-back in Scotland. The field also includes the likes of Jon Rahm, US duo Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, and Thriston Lawrence, who leads a strong South African contingent, which includes George Coetzee and Branden Grace.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-39-cents and the euro at 19-rand-19-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-272-dollars-73-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-653-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….