News 07:00

BULLETIN 11 October 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Prosecuting Authority is not going to prosecute Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala case
# A planned mass protest against the BELA Act is announced
# And rugby: There are several changes to the Springbok Women’s squad for their Italy clash

# The Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Mukhali Ivy Thenga, has decided not to prosecute anyone in the Phala Phala case, citing insufficient evidence for a successful prosecution. This follows an investigation into a complaint laid by former spy boss Arthur Fraser against president Cyril Ramaphosa and former presidential protection unit head Wally Rhoode. They were implicated in an alleged cover-up of theft of foreign currency at Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm in 2020. NPA’s spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, says a careful assessment of all available evidence presented was done:

# AfriForum says a day of mass protest organised by the Afrikaans community will take place on 5 November against the BELA Act. AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel says during a BELA Action Summit in Pretoria, dozens of Afrikaans organisations resolved to march against the Act’s language policies. He says the protest aims to protect Afrikaans schools and mother-tongue education:

# The Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs has expressed concern regarding the quality of food sold at township spaza shops. Five children died after allegedly consuming snacks from a spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto, this past weekend. Yesterday, over 70 matric learners from various West Rand schools were rushed to hospital due to suspected food poisoning. The Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs says it will intensify the Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho – Fix Your Business campaign, which encourages businesses to comply with consumer laws and regulations. 

# The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has found that Israel has perpetrated a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system, as part of a broader assault on Gaza. The three-person commission was tasked to investigate alleged international law violations in Israel and the Palestinian territories. In its report, the commission also accuses Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel in the Gaza Strip. It says all these actions amount to both war crimes and crimes against humanity.

# Rugby: Springbok Women performance coach, Swys de Bruin, has made a couple of changes to his squad for their final Women’s Fifteen match against Italy at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday. Jakkie Cilliers, Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Maceala Samboya have been ruled out due to injury, with Nomawethu Mabenge and the uncapped Nombuyekezo Mdliki included in the match-23. Nolusindiso Booi returns as captain. De Bruin says the team’s mission is to add building blocks to their ultimate destination, the World Cup in England next year.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-50-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-460-dollar-99-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-636-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-97-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Human rights advocate and the widow of former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Ethel, has passed away at the age of 96. She had been hospitalised after suffering a stroke last Thursday. Kennedy founded the Robert F Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights after her husband’s assassination and advocated for gun control and human rights. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president Barack Obama in 2014. President Joe Biden has described Kennedy as a matriarch of optimism and moral courage and an emblem of resilience.

Stay tuned for more news………….