News 13:00

BULLETIN 10 September 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A Transport Department whistleblower fears for his safety
# Donald Trump pledges to pay every adult American adult 80-thousand-rand if the Republicans win the midterm elections
# And tennis: Shelton or Tiafoe could become the first American US Open men’s champion since 2003

# Department of Transport whistleblower Esethu Hasane says he fears for his life after exposing alleged irregularities involving millions of rand. The senior official has raised concerns over questionable communications contracts and spending linked to them. The claims are expected to face scrutiny as authorities examine the procurement processes involved. Hasane told the SABC coming forward with the allegations has placed his personal safety at risk:

# The Central Energy Fund is moving ahead with plans to revive Durban’s mothballed Sapref refinery to triple South Africa’s oil refinery capacity. CEO Tshepo Mokoka says redevelopment will happen in three phases, starting with the use of existing infrastructure to import finished fuel products. In the longer term, the plan targets refining capacity of up to 650-thousand barrels a day. Sapref was bought for just one rand in 2024 after flood damage forced its closure. No funding or timelines have been announced. 

Meanwhile, the African Development Bank has approved a response plan worth up to 82-billion rand to help African countries deal with the global energy and fertiliser crisis. The package will provide financing to protect food, energy and fertiliser supplies, while supporting vulnerable households. The package will be demand-driven, and countries will apply for support based on the severity of their energy and fertiliser pressures. The bank will assess each country’s vulnerability and tailor the financial and policy response accordingly.

# US president Donald Trump has vowed to pay every American adult citizen 80-thousand-rand if his Republican Party retains the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections. He made the controversial pledge during a marathon speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. Reports estimate this will cost over 16-trillion-rand. Trump claims his second term has been the most successful two years, financially and every other way, in the presidency’s history:

# Tennis: Ben Shelton or Frances Tiafoe will on Sunday get the chance to become the first American man in 23 years to win the US Open. Eight-seeded Shelton and 11th-seeded Tiafoe will face off in the semifinals tomorrow. Shelton defeated second seed and defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, in a five-set quarterfinal thriller that ended at 3.30 in the morning in New York. Tiafoe also needed five sets to beat compatriot Alex Michelsen. Andy Roddick was the last American man to win the tournament in 2003.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-6-cents and the euro at 18-rand-69-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-154-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-394-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 103-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….