News 06:00

BULLETIN 17 September 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi files a defamation lawsuit against Paul O’Sullivan
# Donald Trump says they have a deal with China to take over TikTok
# And cricket: The Proteas Women beat Pakistan in their first ODI

# KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is suing Forensic Investigator Paul O’Sullivan for defamation. This comes after O’Sullivan made allegations on media platforms that Mkhwanazi is involved in criminal activities, runs a hit squad, and is implicated in corruption. He also accused Mkhwanazi and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola of being involved in the unlawful expenditure of 35-million-rand on luxury vehicles. Mkhwanazi is demanding five-million-rand in damages.

# The DA is calling for urgent intervention as students face evictions due to NSFAS’s failure to pay accommodation providers. The DA’s Delmaine Christians says over 500 students in Kimberley are at risk, with landlords unpaid for over a year. She calls on Parliament to summon Higher Education and Training minister, Buti Manamela and NSFAS to explain cuts, shortfalls, and provide a concrete payment plan:

# Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero is set to appear before Parliament’s Water and Sanitation Committee on Friday to explain his plan to address the city’s water crisis. Members of parliament want answers on why four-billion-rand was siphoned from Johannesburg Water into municipal coffers. This has led to heated debate with opposition parties slamming poor municipal service delivery. Oversight visits are planned for October.

# President Donald Trump says the United States and China had reached a deal over TikTok, which Washington says must pass to US-controlled ownership. The deal was negotiated over two days of talks in Madrid between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. TikTok, which boasts almost two billion global users, is owned by China-based ByteDance. A US federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. Trump put the ban on pause.

# Cricket: The Proteas Women defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the first ODI in Lahore, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Sidra Amin scored an unbeaten century as the hosts posted 255 for four in their 50-overs. In reply, Marizanne Kapp and Tazmin Brits scored tons and an unbroken 216-run partnership, South Africa’s highest third-wicket partnership, to help the visitors successfully chase down the target with ten balls to spare. The second ODI takes place on Friday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-33-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 116-thousand-759-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-694-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-54-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Society of Psychiatrists says up to 92-percent of South Africans living with mental illness never receive treatment. As a result, three out of four people are left without support for common conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. For severe mental illnesses, fewer than one in ten patients get the care they need. The organisation’s Anusha Lachman calls for integrating mental health into primary care, training frontline workers, and raising public awareness:

Stay tuned for more news………….