News 15:00

BULLETIN 17 November 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Motsepe says no plan was given after the KwaZulu-Natal political killings dockets were moved to Gauteng
# Nedbank expects a 25-basispoint interest rate cut on Thursday
# And rugby: The Boks will host England, Scotland and Wales at the start of the new Nations Championship

# Police major-general Mary Motsepe has told the Madlanga commission she was never given a plan after the political killings task team’s dockets was removed from KwaZulu-Natal and moved to head office in Gauteng. She says she had to devise her own strategy and consulted suspended assistant national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, seeking reasons for the move:

Meanwhile, Young Intelligent Minds of South Africa says the conduct of some members of Parliament’s ad hoc committee is inquisitorial in the sense that it has the potential to scare other prospective witnesses. The committee is investigating allegations of interference, criminality and corruption in the justice system. Suspended minister of Police Senzo Mchunu’s chief of Staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, came under fire last week for not recalling certain dates during his testimony. YIMOSA’s Jeff Mabunda says the conduct of some committee members must change:

# Nedbank economists expect another 25-basis point interest cut at the South African Reserve Bank’s final Monetary Policy Committee meeting of the year this Thursday. The forecast is driven by lower-than-expected inflation data for August of 3.3-percent which came in above the bank’s preferred three-percent anchor. Nedbank highlights that a stable rand and general global disinflation provide a favourable environment for easing monetary policy. However, risks remain due to local administered prices like electricity and the US Federal Reserve potentially holding its rates.

Moving abroad:

# The United States says intelligence confirmed the vessel it attacked in the eastern Pacific this weekend was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, sailing along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. Three people aboard were killed. The boat was in international waters when it was struck by the US Joint Task Force. It was the 21st known attack on drug boats by the US military since early September. Acccording to Pentagon figures the strikes have killed more than 80 people in total.

# Rugby: England, Scotland and Wales will play the Springboks in South Africa in the middle of next year in the inaugural Nations Championship. The competition, touted as a landmark joint venture between the Southern Hemisphere governing body, Sanzaar, and the Six Nations, will be played every second year. It will see the 12 best countries in the world compete against each other in the existing Test windows in July and November. South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Japan and Fidji will represent the south against the Six Nations teams.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-5-cents and the euro at 19-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-45-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-674-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-66-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….