News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Brown Mogotsi was arrested over the alleged staged assassination in Vosloorus 
# President Ramaphosa says the flood disaster underscores the urgent need for stronger local government 
# And in rugby, and extended Junior Bok training squad is named for the  U20 International Series

# The SAPS has arrested North West businessman Brown Mogotsi for defeating the ends of justice following the alleged staging of an attempted assassination in Vosloorus last November. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says a multi-disciplinary law enforcement team executed a J50 warrant of arrest and Mogotsi was intercepted while travelling to Johannesburg after testifying at the Madlanga Commission. Mathe added the police confiscated a firearm that is linked to other serious violent crimes:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the recent flood disaster highlights the urgent need to strengthen local government. He was addressing the National Council of Provinces taking parliament to the people programme in North West yesterday. According to Ramaphosa, severe weather events are exposing weaknesses in infrastructure, disaster preparedness and service delivery at municipal level. He added the government must invest in more resilient infrastructure and ensure municipalities are better equipped to handle climate-related disasters:

Meanwhile, the Cape Winelands District Municipality says recovery efforts are continuing after severe flooding caused widespread damage across the region. Several roads and mountain passes are still closed or inaccessible, and water supply disruptions are affecting towns including Worcester, Bonnievale, Gouda and Saron, with some healthcare services also impacted. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says at least four deaths have been confirmed, while hundreds of people are displaced and being accommodated in shelters.

# The case against SAPS Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo and six co-accused has been postponed by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court to 3 September. The delay follows pending legal representations submitted to the National Director of Public Prosecutions. The accused face fraud and corruption charges linked to the alleged irregular appointment of an unqualified civilian within Crime Intelligence. The National Prosecuting Authority says its Investigating Directorate Against Corruption has completed investigations and is ready for trial once representations are finalised.

# Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives. According to the Italian foreign ministry in Rome the divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres. Four of the divers were part of a University of Genoa team, including professor of ecology Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and two researchers. Diving and snorkelling accidents are relatively rare in the Maldives, although fatalities have been reported in recent years. The incident is the worst single diving accident in the tiny Indian Ocean nation.

# And finally rugby: Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote has named an extended training squad for the forthcoming U20 International Series with Chili, Fiji and Georgia. The first batch of the squad of 26 players will assemble on Monday, at their Stellenbosch Academy of Sports base, while those who played in Gqeberha recently are given an extra week of rest. The squad feature players who attended the previous two Junior Bok training camps, the short tour to Georgia and the U20 Rugby Championship, won by South Africa, while loose forward Quintin Potgieter is a new addition.

Stay tuned for more news………….