News 06:00

BULLETIN 10 November 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IFP says it will approach coalition negotiations with an open mind
# Business Leadership SA calls for stable metro coalitions to boost investor confidence
# And, Russell Brand is sentenced to ten years and six months

# The IFP says it will approach coalition negotiations with an open mind and a willingness to engage constructively with other political parties. The party secured 4.69-percent of the national vote in the local government elections and will control five councils and lead 19 municipalities. Its Coalition Negotiating Team will be led by national chairperson Blessed Gwala and will include treasurer-general Narend Singh and KwaZulu-Natal provincial chairperson Thamsanqa Ntuli. The IFP says it is determined to pursue coalitions founded on clear agreements, shared priorities and mutual accountability. 

Meanwhile, Business Leadership South Africa says stable coalition governments, faster access to skilled foreign workers and new trade agreements are key to attracting investment and creating jobs. The organisation has also welcomed the approval of 71 companies for fast-tracked skilled visas and called for the scheme to be extended. In her weekly newsletter, CEO Busisiwe Mavuso urged political parties to prioritise service delivery when forming coalitions in major metros, particularly Johannesburg. Mavuso said businesses are ready to support municipalities with skills and resources.

# Alleged ‘Big Five’ cartel boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala claims his arrest was intended to help investigators reach senior police officers, including national police commissioner Fannie Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Matlala told the Madlanga commission that officials from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption allegedly questioned him about the two generals and other police members. He claims he was told the investigation was aimed at reaching other people, not him:

# The DA says urgent action is needed to tackle violent crime in Cape Town following four separate shooting incidents over the weekend. The shootings in Grassy Park, Athlone, Strandfontein and Bellville left several people dead and others injured, including a child. Among those killed was a 16-year-old boy. The party’s Benedicta van Minnen calls for better investigations and closer cooperation between law enforcement agencies to tackle gang violence and the illegal supply of firearms:

# Disgraced British actor, comedian and media personality Russell Brand has been sentenced to ten years and six months for rape and three counts of sexual assault. The 51-year-old was convicted last week of raping a 21-year-old woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women in the 2000s. He was acquitted on two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. Handing down judgment at the Southwark Crown Court in London, Judge Joel Bennathan described Brand as a “sexual predator”:

# Cricket: Former Australian opener David Warner has thrown his support behind Usman Khawaja’s claims that the entire Australian team and coaching staff knew about the ball-tampering plan during the 2018 Test series in South Africa. Warner says Khawaja’s account is 100-percent accurate and has criticised Cricket Australia’s investigation as rushed and incomplete. Khawaja made the claims in his forthcoming autobiography, saying discussions about tampering extended beyond the three players who were punished. Cricket Australia has defended its investigation, which found prior knowledge was limited to Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-34-cents and the euro at 18-rand-33-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-95-cents and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-13-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-140-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 94-dollars-87-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….