News 15:00

BULLETIN 5 February 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Madlanga commission confirms an attempted hit on a police informer
# An analyst urges the DA to appoint a black leader after Steenhuisen’s exit
# And rugby: England’s coach expects a tough Six Nations opener against Wales

# The Madlanga commission has confirmed police informer Wiandré Pretorius survived an attempted hit on him outside his house in Boksburg, Gauteng, this morning. He was implicated by the late Marius van der Merwe, known as Witness D, in a 2022 case involving the suffocation of a robbery suspect and the dumping of his body. Van der Merwe was murdered in December. Spokesperson Jeremy Michaels says the commission has intensified witness protection.

Meanwhile, the Police Services’ section head for Quality Management, Rachel Matjeng, told the commission she was in an on-and-off romantic relationship with controversial businessman Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala from 2017. She confirmed receiving gifts and money, but stressed they were personal and not connected to the police’s Medicare24 tenders. Matjeng says the relationship ended after Matlala’s arrest in 2024. She believes he hasn’t engaged in criminal activity since their relationship began:

# Political analyst Harald Pakendorf says the DA should appoint a black leader to replace John Steenhuisen in April. He will remain Agriculture minister. Pakendorf argues the DA must broaden its appeal beyond the middle class, noting that nearly 80-percent of voters are black. He told Newzroom Afrika a credible black leader could help change perceptions of the party, strengthening its national standing ahead of future elections:

# Rugby: England’s coach, Steve Borthwick, is expecting a tense clash against Wales in their Six Nations opener at Twickenham in London on Saturday. Henry Arundell, George Ford and Alex Coles have all been named to start for the hosts, with regular captain Maro Itoje on the bench. Hooker Jamie George will lead the side. Borthwick says the focus is on executing their game plan and maintaining discipline throughout the match:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-568-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-883-dollars-18-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South Africa’s digital bank TymeBank has officially transitioned to GoTyme Bank, marking the next chapter in its evolution as part of the global Tyme Group. The group says the GoTyme Bank brand is more closely tied to the bank’s global alignment. The bank operates as GoTyme in its Asian markets, where it has seen rapid expansion. The bank, which officially launched in 2019 and is backed by billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital, will also launch a new platform for customers through the GoTyme app.

Stay tuned for more news………….