News 14:00

BULLETIN 30 September 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Matlala’s conversations featured tender protection and disbandment of the political killings task team
# The Special Investigating Unit wins a court bid to recover millions the SABC paid to Hlaudi Motsoeneng
# And cricket: India bats first in the Women’s World Cup opener against Sri Lanka

# The head of Crime Intelligence, Dumisani Khumalo, says WhatsApp conversations involving alleged crime cartel figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, revealed efforts to protect tenders and the disbandment of the political killings task team. Testifying at the Madlanga commission in Pretoria, Khumalo said the chats between Matlala and businessman Brown Mogotsi also reveal links to senior police officials, possible payments to politicians, and access to a government minister. He added the messages show how criminal networks tried to influence investigations:

# The Special Investigating Unit has secured a legal victory when the High Court in Johannesburg ordered three former SABC executives to repay over eleven-million-rand in unlawful success payments made to former chief operating official Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Mbulaheni Maguvhe, Ndivhoniswani Tshidzumba and Maleshane Raphela were found jointly liable after failing to oppose payments. The SIU has already seized part of Motsoeneng’s pension, but will now recover the balance, with added interest and legal costs.

# The second cabinet lekgotla of the government of national unity for the year begins in Pretoria today. The two-day gathering brings together ministers, deputies, premiers, and South African Local Government Association leaders. Discussions will focus on service delivery, economic growth, governance, and readiness to host the G20 Summit. The outcomes will feed into shaping government’s policy, legislative agendas and the medium-term budget policy statement in November.

# Western Cape premier Alan Winde says while the current challenges between South Africa and the US on trade at the national level are recent developments, the province continues to enjoy robust relationships on the state-to-province level. He has returned from a ten-day official visit to America. The US is the province’s second-largest export market, with Western Cape exports totalling over 18.32-billion-rand last year – a 2.66-percent increase from 2023. Winde says trade relations with America are critically important:

# Cricket: India is batting first after co-hostess Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, won the toss in the opening match of the Women’s one-day World Cup in Guwahati, India. South Africa is among the eight teams competing in the competition, with each team playing the others once and the top-four advancing to the semifinals. Defending champion Australia has dominated the tournament since its inception in 1973, winning seven out of the 12 editions, followed by England with four titles and New Zealand winning in 2000.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-27-cents and the euro at 20-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 112-thousand-873-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-804-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….