News 17:00

BULLETIN 18 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mkhwanazi raises concerns over MPs Fadiel Adams and Dianne Kohler Barnard’s access to classified information
# The MK Party’s court bid against the Madlanga commission is struck off the roll
# And the repo rate remains unchanged

# KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has raised concerns at the Madlanga commission about members of Parliament gaining access to classified intelligence information. National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams and the DA’s Dianne Kohler Barnard were accused of accessing sensitive material they should not have seen. Mkhwanazi says Adams used the information improperly and opened cases in Cape Town and Gauteng, claiming police interference, but investigations found no evidence to support his allegations:

Meanwhile, the MK Party’s attempt to halt the commission’s workings has been struck off the roll. Leader Jacob Zuma and the MK Party urged the court not to dismiss the case on a technicality. Advocate Dali Mpofu, representing the party, accused president Cyril Ramaphosa of trying to block the merits from being heard. The High Court in Pretoria ruled that the matter is not urgent.

# The monetary policy committee of the Reserve Bank has decided to hold the repo rate at seven-percent and the prime lending rate at 10.5-percent. This follows after inflation for August was at 3.3-percent compared to 3.5-percent in July. The bank’s inflation target is now at three-percent.

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says cabinet has applauded the latest progress report of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention for April to June. More than 5.6-million young people registered on the National Pathway Management Network, surpassing the five-million target, while 1.9-million accessed temporary earning opportunities. Ntshavheni says that this reflects government’s commitment to tackling youth unemployment through scalable interventions:

News from abroad:

# Qatar has met with the president of the International Criminal Court as it seeks legal action against Israel over its unprecedented strike on its territory last week. The emirate’s chief negotiator, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, met with Judge Tomoko Akane in The Hague as it pursues every available legal and diplomatic avenue to ensure accountability for those responsible for Israel’s attack. Last week’s deadly strike targeted Qatar-based leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and sent shock waves through the Gulf states.

# Tennis: Former Kenyan Davis Cup player Eno Polo has been appointed as new CEO of the governing body for the men’s professional circuit, the ATP. The 58-year-old succeeds Massimo Calvelli after the Italian stepped down in June following more than five years in the role. Polo will oversee the ATP’s global operations and continue to drive OneVision. The transformative plan is designed to grow the sport, elevate fan engagement, and deliver long-term value for players, tournaments, and partners.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-37-cents and the euro at 20-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 117-thousand-489-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-653-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….