News 07:00

BULLETIN 17 October 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency says it notes the NPA’s decision not to prosecute in the Phala Phala case
# The DA slams the government for wasteful spending on unfinished tourism projects
# And Zelensky presents his victory plan to the Ukrainian Parliament

# The Presidency says it notes the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision not to prosecute in the Phala Phala case. Former spy boss Arthur Fraser had opened a case against president Cyril Ramaphosa and the former head of his presidential protection unit, Wally Rhoode. This was over the alleged cover-up of theft of foreign currency at the president’s Limpopo game farm in 2020. The MK Party says it will launch a private prosecution. The Presidency says aggrieved parties have mechanisms at their disposal they can pursue directly with the NPA.

# The DA is urging Tourism minister Patricia de Lille to audit tourism projects initiated over the past decade, citing over 500-million-rand spent with little progress. The party claims reports reveal many projects are unfinished or vandalised, and irregular expenditure is a concern. The DA’s Haseena Ismail demands better oversight and stronger project management to ensure these initiatives enhance South Africa’s tourism potential: 

# The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has condemned the Tshwane Affected Investment Operation for failing to pay the benefit of primary healthcare, which was secured in the last round of wage talks. The operation manages the Bus Rapid Transport stations in Pretoria. Numsa’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, says the management is demanding that workers must make submissions to it, on an individual basis, as to why they need to pay the primary healthcare cover:

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has presented a long-awaited victory plan that aims to strengthen his country’s position enough to end the war with Russia. Zelensky told Parliament in Kyiv the plan could by next year finish the war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The plan consists of five key elements including a formal invitation to join Nato. Zelensky also criticised China, Iran, and North Korea for their backing of Russia. He will present the victory plan at an EU summit today.

# Golf: South Africa’s Robin Williams will make the first title defence of his career in the Fortress Invitational, which tees off at Glendower Golf Club in Gauteng today. Last week, he finished tied fourth in the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, where he competed alongside major winners in one of the strongest fields in that tournament’s history. Williams says he is fully aware that his journey to this point started with his victory in the Fortress Invitational last year:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-61-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-562-dollar-15-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-681-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-47-cents a barrel.

# And to end this bulletin: Conservationists have found at least eight species of bats using a collection of abandoned coal mines in the English county Yorkshire as a prime mating spot. The mineshafts and surrounding moorland near Barnsley have become an “autumn-swarming” location. Female bats only give birth to one offspring each year, so swarming is critical for raising the next generation of bats. Conservationists say monitoring projects like these are important since bats as a group provide an excellent indicator of the wider health of their eco-system.

Stay tuned for more news………….