News 14:00

BULLETIN 26 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Sibiya seeks the appointment of a full bench to hear his case for reinstatement
# RISE Mzansi, GOOD and BOSA are in discussions to merge ahead of the 2026 elections
# And cricket: The BCCI is looking for a new main sponsor after the Indian government outlaws online gambling

# Deputy national police commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya, has requested the courts to appoint a full bench to hear his application to return to work. Sibiya was placed on special leave following explosive allegations by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of corruption in the justice system. This morning, the Madlanga commission announced a delay in beginning the inquiry into the allegatons due to procurement delays. Sibiya insists he has done no wrong:

Meanwhile, the EFF says it is not surprised by the announcement of delays to the commencement of the Malanga commission. The commission has stated it is unable to begin its work on the first of September due to failure by the Justice and Constitutional Development Department to procure the necessary infrastructure. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo says the delays are part of a deliberate attempt to stifle accountability:

# RISE Mzansi, the GOOD Party, and Build One South Africa are in discussions to merge ahead of the 2026 local government elections. According to BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomon, the parties have been engaging for some time now. This includes other parties and formations to broaden the initiative’s base. The coalition seeks to prioritise service delivery, focusing on water, electricity, roads, sanitation, and refuse removal.

# AfriForum is calling for transparency after allegations of secret talks at the National Economic Development and Labour Council on amendments to the Firearms Control Act. The organisation says discussions on firearms, including ownership limits and stricter licensing, are outside NEDLAC’s mandate and should include industry groups, sports shooters, and private security companies. AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk warns that excluding stakeholders undermines public trust, vowing to oppose any attempts to disarm law-abiding citizens:

# Cricket: India’s governing body must get a new main sponsor after sports gaming platform Dream-Eleven withdrew its 766-million-rand contract following a government ban on online gambling. India’s biggest online gaming platform signed a three-year deal in July 2023 to become the lead sponsor for the country’s national men’s and women’s teams, and also sponsors several franchises in the Indian Premier League. The Indian government’s passing of the bill criminalises the offering and financing of online gambling, accompanied by a prison term of up to five-years.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-63-cents and the euro at 20-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-76-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-427-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-371-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-21-cents a barrel. 

Stay tuned for more news………….