News 11:00

BULLETIN 13 October 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A bus accident claims the lives of 42 people in Limpopo
# The Activists and Citizens Forum is disappointed with the performance of Parliament’s ad hoc committee
# And the first seven living Israeli hostages are released from Gaza

# Forty-two people, including seven children, were killed when a passenger bus overturned outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo yesterday. Preliminary reports say the bus have been transporting passengers from the Eastern Cape to their home countries of Zimbabwe and Malawi when it veered off the road along a steep mountain pass and plunged down an embankment. Over 30 passengers have been hospitalised. Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba’s spokesperson, Thilivhali Muavha, says the premier will visit the accident scene later today:

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia says corruption is deeply enshrined in institutions and political structures in the country, and is a serious threat to national security. Of the 180 countries ranked by Transparency International’s index earlier this year, which ranks countries according to levels of public sector corruption, South Africa is in the bottom 90. Cachalia says he have proposed the establishment of a new constitutionally compliant, multifunctional anti-corruption agency:

# Activists and Citizens Forum says it is extremely disappointed with what it calls the below-par performance of members of Parliament, sitting on the ad-hoc committee investigating alleged criminal activities within the police. The committee has so far heard evidence from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and national police commissioner Fannie Masemola. The forum’s spokesperson, Dennis Bloem, says the committee members are not doing their work, but are rather playing party politics:

Moving abroad:

# The Israeli Defence Force has confirmed that the release of living Israeli hostages from Gaza has begun. Seven hostages have been released by Hamas so far and transferred to the Red Cross. The other 13 living hostages will be released later from different areas of Gaza. Nearly two-thousand Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel will also be freed, as part of the first crucial phase of the US-brokered ceasefire deal. Hamas says it is committed to the hostage release agreement, provided that Israel abides by it.

# Rugby: Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has selected 34 players for the end-of-year tour of Japan and Europe. The squad includes two uncapped players, Aidan Ross and Kalani Thomas, while Dylan Pietsch and Andrew Kellaway make their returns from injury. Flyhalf Carter Gordon has also been selected after securing a release from his National Rugby League deal. Australia will play five consecutive Tests on their end-of-year tour: against Japan in Tokyo, England in London, Italy in Udine, Ireland in Dublin, and France in Paris.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-31-cents and the euro at 20-rand-10-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-9-cents and Bitcoin trades at 115-thousand-201-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-69-dollars-20-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-31-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….