News 09:00

BULLETIN 15 May 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Additional charges are laid against corruption-accused Fannie Nkosi
# The ANC welcomes ICASA’s position on the policy direction on black economic empowerment
# And, Donald Trump says president Xi has committed to withholding military equipment from Iran

# The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry’s Recommendations Investigative Task Team has brought additional charges of defeating and obstructing the course of justice against corruption-accused police Sergeant Fannie Nkosi. Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says it is alleged that in November 2022, a suspect was arrested for possession of dagga, unlicensed firearms and explosives. She says investigations indicate that Nkosi fetched the original case docket under the pretext that he had been sent by SAPS Head Office:

# The ANC Study Group on Communications and Digital Technologies has welcomed the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s response to the policy direction on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment. ICASA has formally signalled that it cannot give full effect to Communications minister Solly Malatsi’s December 2025 policy direction on B-BBEE without an amendment to the Electronic Communications Act. The ANC says ICASA has demonstrated that Chapter 9 institutions are capable of withstanding pressure and fulfilling their constitutional obligations with integrity.

# AfriForum has requested an explanation from the City of Johannesburg on how it justified the proposed 65.6-percent increase in the monthly water demand management levy charged to households. Currently, domestic users pay 65-rand-08-cents regardless of whether they are on post-paid or prepaid. This would increase the levy to 107-rand-74-cents per household, per month. AfriForum’s Marais de Vaal says levies imposed by municipalities must be justifiable, transparent and based on sound financial principles:

# US president Donald Trump says Chinese leader Xi Jinping has committed to withholding military equipment from Iran. The commitment was made during talks between the two leaders yesterday. Beijing was a major supplier of conventional weapons to Iran in the 1980s, but largely stopped transfers in 2015 after UN Security Council Resolution 2231 increased international scrutiny of such transfers. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said president Xi is also opposed to Iran having a nuclear weapon:

# Tennis: World number one Jannik Sinner made history at the Italian Open, by breaking Novak Djokovic’s record for successive match wins at ATP Masters one-thousand tournaments. He defeated Russia’s Andrey Rublev, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, his 32nd consecutive victory. Sinner will face Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal, who beat Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. In the women’s draw, American Coco Gauff made it back-to-back finals in Rome by defeating Romanian Sorana Cirstea, 6-4, 6-3. She will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who beat Poland’s Iga Swiatek, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-55-cents and the euro at 19-rand-29-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-13-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-926-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-613-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 103-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….