News 12:00

BULLETIN 31 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ATM says Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has failed in combatting corruption 
# Cosatu condemns the secrecy in the KPMG and VBS Bank settlement 
# And tennis: An agency appeals the decision to clear a British player of doping

# The African Transformation Movement is calling for the strengthening of Chapter 9 Institutions to tackle corruption without comprise. South Africa has dropped to 41 in the Corruption Perceptions Index, its lowest ranking ever. ATM’s national spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, says Transparency International’s findings indicate that corruption is not only deeply rooted in the country but allowed to flourish, undermining the aspirations of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s much-touted new dawn:

# Union federation Cosatu says it strongly condemns the secrecy surrounding the out-of-court settlement between financial institution KPMG and the liquidators of VBS Mutual Bank. The federation expressed concern that the confidential nature of the settlement denies workers and affected communities the transparency necessary to understand the full extent of the financial mismanagement and corruption at VBS. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks demands the immediate publication of the settlement details to ensure accountability and restore public trust. Parks calls for mandatory auditor rotation to prevent potential corruption in auditing practices.

# Western Cape MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, has condemned the killing of a 12-year-old girl, who was caught in a crossfire in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, in Cape Town. According to police, the girl was waiting for her learner transport yesterday, when a stray bullet hit her during a fight between rival gangs. She died on the scene. Allen says the barbaric individuals involved must be caught urgently:

# The DA in Gauteng says it is deeply disappointed at the state of schools in the province. This comes after the party conducted an unannounced oversight visit to illegally built schools in the province yesterday. The DA’s Sergio Dos Santos says they undertook the visit following reports that some schools in Tshwane were built without the knowledge of or approval of the municipality:

# Tennis: The International Tennis Integrity Agency decided to appeal an independent tribunal’s decision to clear British player Tara Moore of a positive doping test. The country’s leading doubles player was provisionally banned in May 2022 after testing positive for two banned substances while competing in Colombia. The tribunal accepted her explanation that contaminated meat was the source, finding she bore no fault or negligence. The agency’s appeal will be heard before the Court of Arbitration for Sport at a later date.

Stay tuned for more news………….