News 06:00

BULLETIN 8 October 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mkhwanazi says criminal syndicates have infiltrated the justice system nationwide
# AfriForum blocks the Eskom-Nersa settlement worth billions
# And, the NPA will oppose Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s bail appeal

# KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told Parliament’s ad hoc committee that criminal syndicates have infiltrated parts of the justice system nationwide. The committee investigating Mkhwanazi’s allegations of police capture began its hearings yesterday. He testified that corruption was not limited to KZN and Gauteng, but also affected provinces like the Western Cape. Mkhwanazi revealed rogue officers, prosecutors, and court officials are working with criminals to derail investigations and court cases:

# AfriForum has temporarily halted Eskom and Nersa’s 54-billion-rand settlement that could have cost consumers nearly nine-percent annual tariff hikes. The Pretoria High Court removed the case from the uncontested roll after AfriForum’s intervention, allowing the group and others to join the proceedings. AfriForum’s Deidré Steffens says the deal lacks transparency and public participation. She emphasises accountability and protection of consumer rights amid Eskom’s financial mismanagement concerns:

# The National Prosecuting Authority says it has received a motion from controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who intends to appeal the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court’s decision to deny him bail last month. He and four others are accused of orchestrating the failed assassination of Matlala’s former partner, socialite Tebogo Thobejane, in October 2023. NPA Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana says they will oppose Matlala’s appeal application:

# President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities have prompted a series of legal showdowns. The president has said the deployments are aimed at fighting lawlessness and to aid immigration agents carrying out his immigration enforcement agenda. A federal judge did not block deployments to Illinois and Chicago for now, but gave the administration until the end of the day to explain why it shouldn’t happen. The White House also asked an appeals court to pause an order from a judge in Oregon that halts deployment to Portland.

# Tennis: The governing body of the men’s professional game, the ATP, will consider a formal heat rule after a string of retirements at the Shanghai Masters in China this week. World number two, Jannik Sinner of Italy, was forced to retire because of severe cramps. At the same time, players such as Norway’s Casper Ruud, Belgium’s David Goffin, and Frenchman Terence Atmane also quit during their matches, played in temperatures of over 30-degrees celcius and 80-percent humidity. The ATP says it was open to changing existing heat rules.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-21-cents and the euro at 20-rand-6-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 121-thousand-672-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-990-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A Nobel Prize winner ignored the congratulatory call as she thought it was “spam”, while another is on a hiking trip. Scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize for Medicine. They identified the importance of what are now called regulatory T cells that act as the immune system’s security guards and keep immune cells from attacking a person’s own body. Brunkow said she ignored a call from the Nobel Committee because she thought it was spam. Ramsdell is on a backpacking trip and doesn’t know about his win.

Stay tuned for more news………….