News 14:00

BULLETIN 11 February 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa beats Afghanistan in the second super over in Ahmedabad
# Paul O’Sullivan says no progress has been made on the perjury case against Fraser linked to the Phala Phala scandal
# And a masked gang blow up an armoured truck on an Italian highway

# We begin with brilliant cricket news: South Africa beat Afghanistan Africa by four runs in a dramatic T20 World Cup Group D match in Ahmedabad, India. The encounter was only decided in the second super over after both teams scored 187 in regulation time, and 17 in the first super over. The Proteas reached 187 for six after half-centuries by Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock, and Afghanistan was bowled out for 187. In the second additional over, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs smashed 23 runs, and Keshav Maharaj restricted Afghanistan to 19.

Now on to other news:

# Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has told Parliament’s ad hoc committee a perjury case against the State Security Agency head Arthur Fraser at Rosebank Police Station has made no progress. O’Sullivan denied allegations of assisting president Cyril Ramaphosa and adviser Bejani Chauke to trace suspects linked to the break-in at Ramaphosa’s farm, Phala Phala. He says he only learned of the scandal after an article by Fraser falsely implicated him:

# The South African Local Government Association says Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address must deliver a clear roadmap for action, not just promises. The association urges that local government reforms, including professionalising municipalities and reviewing the funding model, take centre stage. SALGA president Bheke Stofile calls for concrete steps that enable municipalities to drive inclusive growth, restore public trust, and turn policy into measurable progress:

# Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero says the city is intensifying its Water Demand Management programme to stabilise supply and cut consumption to one-thousand-550 megalitres per day. Measures include leak detection, pressure management, night-time throttling, smart monitoring, and partnerships with businesses. Morero urges residents to fix leaks and reduce their daily use to ensure sustainable water access and strengthen the metro’s long-term water security:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-84-cents and the euro at 18-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-817-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-71-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-32-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A brazen gang of masked robbers posing as police officials blew up a cash in transit vehicle on a busy highway in Italy – in full view and close to commuters. The episode was recorded on several cellphone videos that went wild on social media. Eyewitness footage shows several heavily armed men ducking behind parked cars as the cash van explodes. They had already brought traffic to a standstill by setting fire to a different truck and using vehicles with flashing lights to pretend to be officials.

Stay tuned for more news………….