News 12:00

BULLETIN 21 October 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Eastern Cape’s Judge President faces closing arguments in his sexual harassment tribunal today
# TLU SA says true equality can never be achieved through discriminatory legislation
# And cricket: Keshav Maharaj’s seven wickets help the Proteas to bowl out Pakistan for 333

# The sexual harassment tribunal against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge enters its final phase today, with both sides set to deliver closing arguments. Mbenenge is accused by former secretary Andiswa Mengo of sending explicit messages and making unwanted advances between 2021 and ’22. He denies all wrongdoing, insisting the interactions were consensual. The Judicial Service Commission will decide if the case warrants impeachment.

# The agricultural organisation TLU SA welcomes the renewed public discussion about true equality and inclusive economic growth. This comes as the DA is pushing to replace the Black Economic Empowerment policy by introducing the Economic Inclusion for All Bill. The party says the bill would target poverty as the proxy for disadvantage rather than race. TLU SA’s Bennie van Zyl says in the past two decades, BEE, in its current form, has led to widespread mismanagement, corruption, and political favouritism:

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services says firefighters are continuing to battle a large veld fire in the area adjacent to Drakenstein Prison on the R301, between Paarl and Franschhoek. The fire started yesterday afternoon. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says one of the fire lines burning toward the N1 has burnt itself out; but the line burning toward the river remains active:

Moving abroad:

# Liberal Democratic Party leader, Sanae Takaichi, has made history by becoming Japan’s first female prime minister. The 64-year-old, who is known as Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’, won 237 votes in the 465-seat lower chamber of Parliament. The vote comes after her party agreed to a coalition with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party. Takaichi, a big fan of the UK’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, has long been a staunch conservative, opposing same-sex marriages and a growing movement to allow married couples to use separate surnames.

# Cricket: A brilliant seven-wicket haul from spinner Keshav Maharaj helped the Proteas to bowl out Pakistan for 333 on the second morning of the second Test in Rawalpindi. The hosts resumed on 259 for five after Maharaj and Simon Harmer both took two wickets yesterday. Today’s first wicket fell with the score on 316, whereafter the one batter after the other had to walk back. Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood, top-scored with 87, Saud Shakeel contributed 66 and Abdullah Shafique 57. Pakistan won the first Test.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-33-cents and the euro at 20-rand-15-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 107-thousand-900-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-265-dollars-72-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….