News 07:00

BULLETIN 14 October 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency vows its full cooperation with the Madlanga Commission and the parliamentary ad hoc committee
# The IFP is calling for a comprehensive probe into the deadly bus accident in Limpopo
# And cricket: Proteas will resume on 216/6 on the third morning in Lahore

# The Presidency says it’s closely monitoring the Madlanga commission and Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating into allegations by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told the media that no evidence so far implicates president Cyril Ramaphosa personally, and at no point did the president or his office attempt to interfere with the operations of the South African Police Service. Magwenya added that the Presidency will, in due course, submit a formal response to both bodies:

# Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa head, Lucky Montana, has strongly denied that he owes the South African Revenue Service. In an unprecedented move, SARS held a media briefing at the weekend at which it revealed detailed taxpayer information about Montana and his debt of just over 55-million-rand. The revenue services stated it was forced into this move to preserve its integrity after Montana publicly accused the agency of fraud. Montana says he is not afraid of taking on SARS:

# The IFP is calling for a comprehensive investigation into the bus accident, which claimed the lives of 42 people, including seven children, on the N1 outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo on Sunday. More than 30 others were injured. Most of the passengers on board were Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals who were en route to Harare from the Eastern Cape. The IFP is urging law enforcement authorities to determine whether the bus was roadworthy, safe, and compliant with all traffic and transport regulations. The party calls for accountability at all levels.

# The Presidency deputy minister, Nonceba Mhlauli, will host a G20 dialogue with students at Motheo TVET College’s NADA Campus in Bloemfontein today. The event forms part of a year-long G20 awareness outreach by GCIS in partnership with civil society, business, and academia. The programme will begin with an information exhibition featuring government and non-government organisations offering services and insights to students.

# US president Donald Trump, alongside leaders in the Middle East, signed the Gaza ceasefire deal during a summit in Egypt on Monday. As part of phase one of the peace deal, Hamas released all 20 living hostages, but only released the bodies of four dead hostages. In exchange, Israel released almost two-thousand Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Trump hailed the signing of the deal as very important, saying this was in many ways the toughest deal to accomplish:

# Cricket: South Africa will resume its first innings on 216 for six on the third morning of the first Test against Pakistan in Lahore. This is a deficit of 172-runs after the hosts were bowled out for 378 yesterday. They resumed on 313 for five, and lost their remaining five wickets for just 65 runs. South Africa started well, but lost wickets regularly. Ryan Rickelton contributed 71, while Tony de Zorzi will resume on 81, together with South Africa’s hero yesterday, Senuran Muthusamy, who took six wickets.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-29-cents and the euro at 20-rand-1-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-677-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-141-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….