News 06:00

BULLETIN 23 October 6 am

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In this bulletin:

# Senzo Mchunu blames divisions on long-standing tensions in the police
# Home Affairs launches doorstep passport delivery for South Africans abroad
# And, the Foreign Press Association petitions Israel’s Supreme Court for access to Gaza

# Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has denied interfering in the work of the police, insisting under oath that he has no recollection of any instance of political interference. Testifying before the ad hoc committee, Mchunu said divisions within police leadership existed long before his appointment, rooted in old rivalries. He added that his focus has been on restoring unity and assuring National Commissioner Fannie Masemola of his full support:

Mchunu faced tough questions about his decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team without consulting other ministers. He said former minister Bheki Cele handed over the inter-Ministerial Committee report on the political killings task team to him. Mchunu admitted not consulting cabinet colleagues, saying he believed the task team had ceased to exist:

# The Department of Home Affairs has announced the launch of doorstep passport delivery for South Africans living abroad, starting 1 November. Minister Leon Schreiber unveiled the initiative in The Hague, Netherlands, as part of the department’s ‘Home Affairs at Home’ reform. The new service reduces passport processing times from 18-months to just five weeks and allows courier delivery in 18 global cities. Fees range between 521-rand and one-thousand-and-43-rand, with rollout to South Africa planned next.

# Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi says the disbandment of the crime prevention wardens, informally known as AmaPanyaza, will be done in a phased approach over the next 36 months. This move follows KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claim that the AmaPanyaza are illegal. Lesufi says the wardens will be integrated into the Gauteng traffic police, Special Law Enforcement Unit, border patrol teams, and other strategic security entities:

# An organisation representing international media outlets in Israel and the Palestinian territories says it hoped Israel’s Supreme Court would approve its petition demanding immediate access for journalists to Gaza. Israel’s Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition today filed by the Foreign Press Association seeking access to Gaza. Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from entering the devastated territory, taking only a handful of reporters inside on tightly controlled visits alongside its troops.

# Rugby: Scrumhalves Nolann Le Garrec, Maxime Lucu, and Baptiste Jauneau will compete to replace injured France captain Antoine Dupont for next month’s international matches. Superstar Dupont is set to be sidelined until December with a knee injury suffered in March and will miss games against South Africa, Fiji, and Australia. Le Garrec started Les Bleus’ three Tests against New Zealand in July, Jauneau won the last of his two caps against the All Blacks, and Lucu is set to return for his club Bordeaux-Begles this month from a hand issue.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-41-cents and the euro at 20-rand-22-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-25-cents and Bitcoin trades at 107-thousand-618-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-88-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….