News 06:00

BULLETIN 10 October 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Bolivia joins South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice
# The auditor-general’s report highlights a massive backlog in courts
# And Taliep Petersen’s murderer is placed on parole

# Bolivia has become the latest country to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South Africa first brought its case in December last year, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel was ordered to take action to prevent acts of genocide. This month, the country will submit its memorial as part of a broader legal effort to hold Israel accountable under international law. Bolivia argues that Israel’s genocidal war continues, and the court’s orders remain dead letters to Israel.

# Section27, representing Blind SA, has launched an urgent legal application in the Constitutional Court against President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to sign the Copyright Amendment Bill. The bill, approved by Parliament, is crucial for improving access to reading materials for blind and visually impaired people. Blind SA president Christo de Klerk argues this delay violates the rights of the visually impaired and seeks a court order compelling Ramaphosa to sign the bill within ten days: 

# The Auditor-General’s report to Parliament indicates that South African courts face a backlog of 37-thousand-838 cases as of 30 June 2024. Rape, murder, and assault are the most common backlogged cases. This represents a 13-percent increase from the previous year. According to the report, Gauteng and the Western Cape are major contributors. The backlog has also been worsened by perpetrators out on bail, leading to victim intimidation and further crimes. Members of Parliament are urging for swift action to address the delays.

# Newly elected Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya has pledged to prioritise service delivery and tackle the economic divide in the city. Moya, who secured 122 votes against her predecessor, the DA’s Cilliers Brink, who received 86 votes, vowed to provide equal access to basic services for all residents, regardless of their socio-economic status. In her inaugural speech, she acknowledged the challenges faced by disadvantaged communities and promised to enhance infrastructure, housing, safety, and job opportunities:  

# The hitman who shot beloved musician Taliep Petersen in 2006 was released on parole this week. Petersen’s widow, Najwa, hired Waheed Hassan to murder her husband in their home in Athlone, Cape Town, in a staged robbery. He told the High Court in Cape Town during the trial Najwa offered to give his family money if he should kill Taliep. Najwa’s parole was also approved earlier, but minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald referred the decision to the department’s Supervision and Parole Review Board.

# Tennis: The end of an era will be reached at Wimbledon next year when after 147 years, all 300 line judges will be replaced with an electronic system. The All England Club has confirmed all 18 match courts will be fitted with automated electronic line calling, known as ELC. This is the same system used at the US Open in New York since 2020. It is expected that Wimbledon’s Hawk-Eye challenge system which players used to challenge line judges’ calls, will be phased out.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-66-cents and the euro at 19-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-661-dollar-50-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-608-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….