News 12:00

BULLETIN 24 October 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Forum for South Africa calls on the Chief Justice to institute a probe into judge Ledwaba
# Trump’s pick for ambassador to South Africa will press government on its non-alignment policy
# And elephants are spotted near the Kgalagadi transfronteir Park for the first time in nearly a decade

# The Forum for South Africa is calling on Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to investigate the allegations levelled against acting Gauteng Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba. Witness A testified at the Madlanga commission he had heard from an informer that 2.5-million-rand was earmarked to secure bail for murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe, but the witness did not know if this money was intended for Ledwaba or the public prosecutor. FOSA’s Tebogo Mashilompane says the investigation must also include a lifestyle audit:

# Global insurance company Coface says without deep and sustained reforms, South Africa’s growth potential will remain permanently constrained. It forecast growth of 0.8-percent this year and 1.3-percent next year. Coface economist for Africa, Aroni Chaudhuri, says South Africa has been hampered by two major structural constraints: the failure of the energy system and deep distortions in the labour market:

# US ambassador-designate to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell, says one of his priorities will be to communicate objections to South Africa’s geostrategic drift from non-alignment towards America’s competitors, including Russia, China and Iran. He faced a grilling from senators during his confirmation hearing before the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. Bozell says he will also press South Africa to end proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice:

# Gymnastics: Indonesia says its decision to ban Israeli athletes from the world championship in Jakarta was designed to maintain public order, security and the public interest. The Israelis were denied visas due to the war in Gaza. This led to the International Olympic Committee urging all international sporting federations not to host any events in the Asian country with the world’s largest Muslim-majority. Indonesia’s minister of Sport, Erick Thohir, says the decision was based on the country’s Constitution and its obligation to maintain world order.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-35-cents and the euro at 20-rand-17-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 110-thousand-884-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-58-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

# And finally, four elephants have been spotted near Zutshwa in Botswana’s Kgalagadi region, just 70 kilometres from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on the border of the Northern Cape, marking the closest approach in nearly a decade. SANParks’ JP Smith says this sighting has been confirmed by Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Smith says this movement may indicate shifting migration patterns. SANParks urges visitors to stay in vehicles, follow park rules, and report elephant sightings, ensuring the safety of both people and wildlife.

Stay tuned for more news………….