News 08:00

BULLETIN 9 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ipsos says voter turnout will play a significant role in the elections
# Fikile Mbalula says he was elected fairly
# And, the US strikes five Iranian tankers

# Ipsos says voter turnout will play a significant role in determining local government election outcomes in several key metros. A new Ipsos survey shows that current voting intentions suggest that Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City could see particularly competitive races between the ANC and DA. Ipsos says the MK Party records majority-level support in eThekwini at 55-percent. It says support for the EFF varies across metros, reaching 27-percent in Buffalo City, higher than elsewhere. Ipsos adds that ActionSA’s greatest electoral presence remains concentrated in Gauteng’s metropolitan areas.

# ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has continued to reject Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s allegation against him, insisting that he was elected freely and fairly by secret ballot at the party’s 2022 Nasrec conference. Mbalula has taken legal action against Dlamini-Zuma, demanding that she apologise for claiming that he paid delegates at the conference, which saw him elected as secretary-general. Dlamini-Zuma has filed an opposing affidavit. Mbalula believes the court will make the right decision, maintaining that he has done nothing wrong:

# The National Prosecuting Authority has entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with UK fugitive and triple-murder accused Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma. In terms of the agreement, he pleaded guilty to charges of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as violating immigration law in South Africa. The Zimbabwean-born British citizen allegedly killed his wife and their two daughters in the UK before fleeing to South Africa. The NPA says Tshuma’s extradition proceedings for him to return to the UK to face the triple murder charges will be heard tomorrow.

# The US Central Command says the military destroyed five Iranian tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps twice attempted to strike an American warship with ballistic missiles over the past two days. US forces struck four crude oil carriers in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at an American base in Jordan. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns that more Iranian oil tankers will be sunk if attacks on warships continue:

# Golf: LIV Golf has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States in an attempt to restructure after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its financial backing. The fund decided not to continue funding beyond the 2026 season, having spent nearly 80-billion-rand over five years. The breakaway league owes at least 720-million-rand to players. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil says this process will allow time to pursue a landmark transaction and begin the next chapter built around the fans and an innovative player-first ownership model.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand and the euro at 18-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-67-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-593-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-375-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 101-dollars-24-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….