News 13:00

BULLETIN 2 October 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A warrant of arrest is authorised for Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
# Trump says he may call on European countries to release their diesel reserves
# And cricket: India’s coach laments the second ODI against the Windies as unfair towards the bowlers

# The High Court in Pretoria has authorised a warrant for the arrest of former Defence minister and National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula after she failed to appear in court in her corruption and money-laundering case. Her lawyers say she remains unwell, but no medical certificate was provided. Mapisa-Nqakula stands accused of soliciting corrupt payments from contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndlovu between 2016 and 2019. The warrant will be held over until her next court appearance on November 11.

# Western Cape premier Alan Winde says the province is strengthening specialised law enforcement to tackle drug trafficking and organised crime. The Stellenbosch Municipality’s K9 Unit was launched yesterday, as areas like Kayamandi and Cloetesville record increased levels of gang-related and organised crime. Winde says through the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, the provincial government has invested 400-thousand during 2025/26 and a further one-million-rand during 2026/27 for the establishment and strengthening of the unit:

# COSATU has welcomed government assurances that retired military personnel and their dependants will retain medical cover. Defence and Military Veterans minister Angie Motshekga told Parliament about 21-thousand main beneficiaries of the Regular Force Medical Continuation Fund will continue receiving full benefits. COSATU’s Matthew Parks says the fund faces a 166-million-rand shortfall. He calls for urgent long-term solutions to the funding crisis:

Moving abroad:

# US president Donald Trump says he may ask European countries to release some of their diesel reserves amid a global shortage. He has already threatened a ban on exports of US diesel. America is a vital supplier of diesel to the world, exporting between 1.2 and 1.5 million barrels per day. According to reports, Spain and Germany have nearly 400 days’ worth of supplies, while the UK only has about 42. Trump says keeping any surplus barrels of diesel in the US would offer immediate relief at the pumps.

# Cricket: The final one-day match between India and the West Indies will be played in New Chandigarth on Saturday after the hosts clinched the series with the second-highest successful chase in Guwahati on Wednesday. The visitors posted 405 for seven after three centuries, but India chased the target down within 44 overs with just two wickets down. India’s coach, Gautam Gambhir, lamented the batting-friendly pitch, saying this wasn’t fair towards bowlers. South Africa holds the record for the highest successful ODI chase of 434 against Australia in 2006.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-66-cents and the euro at 18-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-1-cent and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-228-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-187-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 102-dollars-89-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….