News 14:00

BULLETIN 29 October 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Madlanga commission hears of the Hawks’ aggressive interference during Katiso “KT” Molefe’s takedown
# Sassa says claims of double social grant payments this month are false
# And soccer: Lionel Messi hopes to play in next year’s World Cup at the age of 39

# Former member of the political killings task team, captain Maxwell Wanda, says members of the Hawks interfered and acted aggressively during the arrest of businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe in December last year. Wanda told the Madlanga commission that Molefe, accused of ordering the hit that killed engineer Armand Swart, was arrested with a magistrate-approved warrant. He said the Hawks unexpectedly arrived in large numbers at Molefe’s home in Sandhurst, Johannesburg, creating confusion and tension during the take down:

# The Free Market Foundation has criticised the draft Business Licensing Bill, calling it unconstitutional and damaging to South Africa’s economy. The bill aims to amend the Business Act of 1991 and introduce a modern, efficient licensing framework that, amongst other things, boosts economic growth and improves regulatory efficiency. The foundation’s Martin van Staden says the bill gives excessive power to the minister of Small Business Development, infringes on provincial authority, and violates privacy rights:

# The Competition Commission of South Africa has approved seven major mergers and acquisitions, including deals in aerospace, technology, property, industrial, and financial sectors. Spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga says conditions were applied to some transactions to promote employment, skills development, and procurement of plastic pipes and fittings, while others were cleared without conditions. He says the commission concluded that these deals are unlikely to substantially lessen or prevent competition, ensuring market stability while addressing public interest concerns.

# The South African Social Security Agency says it is concerned about the increase in misinformation about social grant payments. This comes after a message circulated on social media, claiming that the agency would be making double payments to beneficiaries this month. Sassa’s spokesperson, Andile Tshona, says this information is fake:

# Soccer: Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi, hopes to play in next year’s World Cup although he realises his age and fitness will be important factors. He turns 39 just before the start of the tournament in Northern America. Messi, who led his country to World Cup glory in 2022, recently extended his contract with Inter Miami until 2028. He says he will take time to assess his physical condition before deciding to make himself available. He describes it as a dream to be able to defend their crown.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-10-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-60-cents and Bitcoin trades at 113-thousand-101-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-27-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….