News 06:00

BULLETIN 19 August 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party and UAT’s application for leave to appeal will be heard on Friday
# The death toll from Zimbabwe’s ferry disaster has risen to 93
# And cricket: A new era starts for England with their first Test against Pakistan

# The MK Party and United Africans Transformation have applied for leave to appeal a Western Cape High Court order halting public hearings of Parliament’s Section 89 Impeachment Committee into President Cyril Ramaphosa. This follows the Constitutional Court’s refusal last week to hear a direct appeal, saying the matter was not in the interests of justice at this stage. The High Court’s interim interdict remains in place pending Ramaphosa’s review of the independent panel report. The appeal will be heard on Friday.

# The National Prosecuting Authority is expected to withdraw the criminal case against Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo, the head of the police’s Crime Intelligence Technical Support Services, Dineo Mokwele and their co-accused. The NPA had previously said the charges would be provisionally withdrawn while it reviewed the case and considered any further evidence. The legal teams for Khumalo and Mokwele had pushed for an unconditional withdrawal. The NPA plans to withdraw the case in full and without conditions on Friday.

# Murder-accused Katiso “KT” Molefe, the late taxi boss Mswazi Msibi and businessman Steve Motsumi allegedly posed as state officials while dealing with foreign suppliers of surveillance technology. Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson told the Madlanga commission that cell-phone communications suggest the men were involved in efforts to sell spy and jamming technology to the Eswatini government. Chaskalson said it remains unclear whether the deal was concluded:

# The Gauteng Education Department has suspended a male teacher from Minerva Secondary School in Alexandra, following allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment by several learners. The allegations relate to inappropriate communication between the educator and several learners, which reportedly began in June and continued through WhatsApp and other interactions. The department’s spokesperson, Onwabile Lubhelwane, says any allegation of inappropriate conduct towards a learner must be investigated thoroughly and without fear or favour:

# The death toll from Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba ferry disaster has risen to 93, as divers continue search and recovery efforts. The ferry, which had a capacity to carry 90 passengers, but at least 168 people were actually on board, capsized last week. Seventy-seven people were rescued in the country’s deadliest transport disaster. Zimbabwe’s minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, says the tragedy was caused by negligence and human error by the deceased ferry captain:

# Cricket: Today’s start of the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley in Leeds constitutes a new era for England, with a new captain and new coach. Ben Stokes retired after the June series against New Zealand, while coach Brendon McCullum was sacked from the Test team. He will eventually be replaced by former New Zealand player Stephen Fleming, but former England player Marcus Threscothick will coach the team for the three Tests against Pakistan. Joe Root resumes the captaincy which he relinguished in 2022 to concentrate on his batting.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-24-cents and the euro at 18-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-556-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-335-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-93-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….