News 07:00

BULLETIN 9 Oktober 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says South Africa is seeking to deepen trade with Ireland
# Mandla Mandela says they were ill-treated in Israeli detention
# And, the DA accuses Panyaza Lesufi of exploiting the Tembisa Hospital report for political gain

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says through the South Africa-Ireland Joint Commission for Cooperation, the two nations have maintained cordial relations rooted in mutual respect, shared values, and a common commitment to multilateralism. South Africa is Ireland’s largest trading partner in Africa, with imports ranging from aircraft to data processing machinery to pharmaceutical products. Speaking during his state visit to Ireland on Wednesday, Ramaphosa highlighted the strong cultural links and investment flows between the two nations:

# Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, has illustrated the ill treatment by the Israeli soldiers after their boats were intercepted by the Israeli Navy. Mandla says they were denied food, handcuffed, paraded, and harshly treated upon arrival in Ashdod. He added that activist Greta Thunberg, aged 22, was also harassed by Israeli authorities. He described the experience as evidence that there will never be justice on stolen land:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Public Service and Administration has welcomed the precautionary suspension of Public Investment Corporation chief investment officer, Kabelo Rikhotso. His suspension follows allegations of misconduct made against him in a whistleblower report. The committee has encouraged the PIC to ensure that the investigation is conducted with full independence, rigour, and transparency. It has also urged the PIC to continue strengthening its internal controls, risk management frameworks, and whistleblower protection mechanisms, to ensure that accountability becomes systemic rather than reactive.

# The DA in Gauteng has accused premier Panyaza Lesufi and his ANC allies of exploiting the Tembisa Hospital Special Investigating Unit report for cheap political gain. The SIU probe uncovered three coordinated syndicates, responsible for the looting of over two-billion-rand meant for healthcare. The DA’s provincial leader, Solly Msimanga, says Lesufi’s government response to the damning findings was to host a prayer service. He says the hospital is where the ANC’s own cadres helped plunder, pillage, and where whistleblowers were targeted and killed.

# Mining Affected Communities United in Action has submitted a supplementary statement to the Human Rights Commission following Day 3 of the Stilfontein Inquiry. MACUA says the deaths of 93 miners exposed the state’s contempt for accountability. It criticised absent ministers, the Department of Mineral Resources’ failure to implement recommendations, and the Minerals Council’s role in police operations. MACUA called for ministerial subpoenas and a criminal probe into the miners’ deaths.

# Golf: American Collin Morikawa denies his comments before last month’s Ryder Cup could have caused the spectators’ rowdy behaviour at Bethpage Park in New York. He asked home fans to pump up the volume and go crazy, and European players were heckled relentlessly while beer was even hurled at Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica. Morikawa says his comments had been taken out of context a little bit, and he didn’t mean for spectators to be rude. Europe nonetheless won the competition:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-98-cents and Bitcoin trades at 122-thousand-706-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-27-dollars-32-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….