News 12:00

BULLETIN 22 September 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Charges against suspended police commissioner Masemola are officially withdrawn
# A parliamentary committee condemns the behaviour of a SANRAL contractor
# And government will plant ten-million trees on Heritage Day as a collective response to climate change

# Criminal charges have been withdrawn against suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. He had been facing Public Finance Management Act charges linked to a 360-million-rand SAPS-Medicare 24 tender awarded to controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Masemola was suspended following the charges. The National Prosecuting Authority requested the withdrawal after reviewing the case and finding no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution. It is now up to president Cyril Ramaphosa to decide if Masemola will be reinstated to his position.

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Transport says the reported incident involving a South African National Roads Agency contractor is unacceptable and regrettable. Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama was caught on camera threatening a group of women who rejected his advances at the Vlamo restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg. Committee chairperson Donald Selamolela welcomes Transport minister Barbara Creecy ordering that Mudzinganyama’s contracts with SANRAL be reviewed for compliance:

Moving abroad:

# Paramount Skydance has settled with 12 US states, clearing the way for the completion of a 1.8-trillion-rand merger with Warner Brothers. This will combine Paramount’s film and television studios, CBS and the Paramount Plus streamer, with Warner’s HBO, CNN and other cable networks. Paramount will pay the Writers’ Guild-Industry health fund 285-million-rand. Californian attorney-general Rob Bonta, who led the lawsuit to block the merger, says the settlement will help boost film production:

# Rugby: Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano says facing the Springboks is the ultimate test, and they are ready for the challenge. Australia have included uncapped Harry McLaughlin-Phillips in the 34-man squad for Sunday’s one-off Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The Springboks beat Australia 30-12 during their last visit to the city in 2024. Tizzano says they will need to put on a better performance than they did against Argentina earlier this month:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-31-cents and the euro at 18-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-818-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-307-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 101-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Deputy minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, will lead a nationwide campaign to plant ten million trees on Heritage Day on Thursday. This forms part of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s One Billion Trees Programme to mobilise citizens to mitigate climate change. Swarts will lead the main event at Freedom Park in Pretoria before joining Gauteng Environment MEC Ewan Botha in Noordgesig, Soweto. Trees will be planted in safe spaces across all nine provinces, including schools, hospitals, colleges, police stations, churches, parks and residential areas. 

Stay tuned for more news………….