News 08:00

BULLETIN 2 September 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# New evidence has emerged in the Digital Vibes corruption scandal
# Not in My Name is demanding justice for a 14-year-old girl from the Prinshof School for the Blind
# And, twelve-thousand people are impacted by the Afghanistan earthquake

# New evidence has emerged in the ongoing Digital Vibes corruption scandal involving over 150-million-rand in alleged unlawful contracts awarded by the Department of Health. The Special Tribunal has granted the Special Investigating Unit permission to introduce the new evidence in its case against Digital Vibes and several other companies and directors. The SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, says without the new evidence, important details about how public money was laundered through bogus business dealings could be lost:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Public Service and Administration has expressed concern about reports on a repayment based on a ghost contract of the Government Pensions Administration Agency. According to reports, the agency paid Shula Developers, who allegedly misrepresented themselves as the landlord, 36-million-rand upfront to lease a building for its headquarters. Shula Developers has paid back the funds, but neglected to pay the four-million-rand interest it earned. The committee says it wants clarity on whether the arrangement between the agency and Shula Developers constitutes potential corruption.

# Civil society movement Not in My Name International is demanding the dismissal of a teacher at the Prinshof School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Pretoria. This follows allegations that a 14-year-old learner was sexually assaulted by a teacher in 2024. The movement staged a peaceful demonstration outside the school yesterday. Not in My Name International’s Themba Masango says they have given the school 14 days to act against the teacher:

# More than 800 people are known to have died and at least two-thousand injured in the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s mountainous eastern border region on Monday. The quake struck at a depth of eight kilometres, making it more destructive. Worst-hit are the Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, but shakes were felt in neighbouring provinces, as well as in Kabul and in neighbouring Pakistan’s capital Islamabad. The UN agency Ocha said details are still emerging about the full extent of the destruction, but it believes as many as 12-thousand people are impacted.

# Tennis: Defending champion Jannik Sinner is through to the US Open quarterfinals. The Italian thrashed Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, to set up a clash with compatriot Lorenzo Musetti. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Russia’s Andrey Rublev, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, while Australia’s Alex de Minaur beat Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. In the women’s draw, two-time champion Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated American Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2021. Poland’s Iga Swiatek saw off Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-3, 6-1.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-62-cents and the euro at 20-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-144-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-493-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….