News 08:00

BULLETIN 16 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Election Day will be a public holiday
# The charges against general Fannie Masemola are withdrawn
# And Swimming: Tatjana Smith will get the interest on her prize money

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared 4 November 2026, the day of the local government elections, a public holiday. A total of 546 political parties will contest the elections, while more than 140-thousand candidates have been nominated to contest ten-thousand-526 council seats across the country. Ramaphosa has called on all registered voters to use the opportunity of the public holiday to exercise their democratic right and civic duty by voting in this election. He has also urged employers to make provision for employees to exercise their Constitutional right to vote.

# National Director of Public Prosecution Andy Mothibi has ordered the withdrawal of charges against suspended National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola. He was charged with contravening the Public Finance Management Act in connection with the controversial 228-million-rand Medicare24 tender involving alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says Mothibi’s decision follows a review of the case and evidence gathered by the Independent Directorate Against Corruption:

# The ANC has condemned the senseless and brutal killings of women in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, saying this brings into sharp focus the devastating reality of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. Eight women have been found murdered across the East Rand in recent months. The ANC says police must act urgently to investigate these cases and bring the perpetrators to justice. It adds that the national response must extend beyond condemnation, calling for sustained efforts across prevention, policing, survivor support, prosecution, and accountability.

# Prime minister Mark Carney says Canada is pursuing a unique security and economic alliance with the European Union. This as Ottawa is seeking to reduce its economic dependence on the US, as the trade war between the two countries has deepened over the last month. After trade talks suddenly collapsed last month, the two countries have imposed tit-for-tat tariffs. EU-Canada’s trade in goods and services has increased by 80-percent since 2016. Carney says over eight-trillion-rand in new investment has been committed to Canada:

# Swimming: Swimming South Africa has agreed to pay Olympic champion Tatjana Smith the full amount of interest claimed on prize money withheld for more than a year. She won around 560-thousand-400 after securing gold and silver at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan. Swimming SA only paid Smith the money after she participated in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. However, the interest the money may have accrued while in SSA’s bank account was not included. Smith’s lawyer, Wian Spies, says a payment agreement for the interest has been reached.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-23-cents and the euro at 18-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-88-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-804-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-329-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 109-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….