News 09:00

BULLETIN 9 October 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Andy Mothibi says Andrea Johnson’s departure from IDAC was of the utmost importance
# COSATU calls for the urgent passing of a bill to unlock ten-billion-rand’s fuel price relief
# And the execution of a former US major who killed 13 of his comrades will be live-streamed

# National director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi says it would have been the utmost risk if Andrea Johnson had continued as head of the Investigating Directorate against Corruption. She resigned in July after a disastrous appearance before the Madlanga Commission. Mothibi told Parliament Johnson wasn’t allowed to escape consequences, confirming she faces a criminal case as well as investigations by the directorate. He alleges she was involved in most of the management overrides while processes were not followed.  

# COSATU is calling on Parliament to urgently pass the Second Special Appropriations Bill to unlock 10-billion-rand fuel price relief. The bill allocates the money to the Central Energy Fund’s Equalisation Fund to cushion workers, commuters and the economy against rising international oil prices. The union federation’s spokesperson, Matthew Parks, says the unprovoked United States-led war in the Persian Gulf has destabilised global oil markets:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has questioned whether government support is improving conditions in struggling municipalities. The department achieved 86-percent of its targets and received an unqualified audit opinion with findings for the 2025/26 financial year. However, committee chairperson Zweli Mkhize has raised concerns over ongoing water and sanitation failures and poor municipal accountability:

Moving abroad:

# US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the execution of a former Army major who killed 13 unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood will be live-streamed. Nidal Hasan will be executed by firing squad in December for the deaths of his comrades in 2009. He admitted to shooting into a crowded medical building where deploying soldiers were waiting for check-ups. It would be the first military execution in the US since the end of World War Two. BBC reports the execution still requires approval from the president and an appellate review.

# Motorsport: A heat-hazard had been declared for the weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore. This was done for the fourth race this year after last weekend’s in Malaysia. The warning is issued when temperatures are expected to exceed 31-degrees Celsius during the event. This means teams are allowed to fit cooling devices to their cars that pump liquid through the drivers’ vests to manage the heat. F1 is also monitoring air-quality issues as a result of smog caused by fires in Indonesia.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-52-cents and the euro at 18-rand-54-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-87-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-423-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-182-dollars-22-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….