News 15:00

BULLETIN 23 February 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mugabe and Matonze’s bail applications are postponed following delays in their court arrival
# The former MK Party chief whip Colleen Makhubele resigns as MP and party member
# And cricket: Zimbabwe and the Windies face off in the T20 World Cup’s Super Eights

# The Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg has postponed the bail applications of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s son and his co-accused to next Tuesday. Bellarmine Mugabe and Tobias Matonze face charges including attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice over a missing firearm after a gardener was shot at Mugabe’s home in Hyde Park. Lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni says the delay followed because the accused were taken to Randburg Magistrate’s Court:

# Suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has denied impalas were ever delivered to his home. He is testifying before the Madlanga commission investigating political interference and criminal activity in the police service. Sibiya says when he bought his property nine years ago, it already had animals, including emus and sheep. He says he purchased a few impalas from a neighbour, but no animals were sent to him and all additions were his own:

# Former MK Party chief whip Colleen Makhubele has resigned as a Member of Parliament. She also confirmed she is giving up her party membership. Her decision comes amid internal party developments and will trigger the process to fill her vacant seat in the National Assembly. The party confirmed Makhubele’s resignation, expressing gratitude for her service. Details regarding her reasons for stepping down have not been disclosed, while the MK Party has stated it will ensure continuity in parliamentary representation and ongoing legislative work.

Moving abroad:

# North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary, extending his 15-year rule and underlining his absolute grip on power. Kim had been North Korea’s supreme leader since the death of his father in 2011. Addressing the congress, Kim said his party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living and transforming all realms of state and social life as early as possible.

# Cricket: Unbeaten Zimbabwe and the West Indies are facing off in a T20 World Cup Super Eight match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, India, today. Zimbabwe qualified from the group phase after beating Sri Lanka, Australia and Oman while their encounter with Ireland rained out. The Windes were victorious over England, Scotland, Italy and Nepal. But those results count for nothing in the Super Eights, as each team starts from scratch. The top-two teams in each of the two groups qualify for the semifinals.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cent and the euro at 18-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-60-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-329-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-151-dollars-8-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….