News 13:00

BULLETIN 5 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Oscar Pistorius’s family is elated he is back home on parole
# A Gauteng man is remanded in custody for the murders of his parents and sister
# And, cricket: The knives are out for Newlands after the shortest Test of all time

# Former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius’s family is excited about his release after serving more than half of his 13-year-sentence at Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria. According to The Citizen, Pistorius’ lawyer, Julian Knight, says his family is elated that the Blade Runner is back home, residing in his uncle Arnold’s mansion in Waterkloof. The Department of Correctional Services confirmed that he has been admitted into the system of community corrections under strict conditions until his sentence expires in January 2030.

Earlier, NotInMyName International welcomed the decision to place Pistorius on parole. He was initially convicted of culpable homicide in 2014, but it was later changed to murder. NotInMyName’s secretary-general, Themba Masango, says classified as a first-time offender with a positive support system, Pistorius’ parole placement is in line with Section 73 of the Correctional Services Act:

# A Gauteng man is expected to apply for bail in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on Thursday following his first appearance in connection with the murders of his parents and sister. Eugene Botha is accused of killing Johan, Jane and Suné Botha in Rondebult on the East Rand. Their bodies were found on the back of an abandoned bakkie with multiple stab wounds on Tuesday, not far from the family’s home. Forty-two-year-old Eugene Botha was arrested shortly afterwards. He asked for a state-appointed lawyer during his first court appearance.

# Cricket: The knives are out for Newlands after India needed just a day and a half and 642 balls to beat South Africa by seven wickets in the shortest Test of all-time. Set 79 to win, the tourists got over the line midway through the afternoon session on day two in Cape Town. The Proteas were bowled out for 55 on day one and they were all out again for 176 in their second innings, despite Aiden Markram’s superb century. Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad was not happy with the Newlands pitch:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-73-cents and the euro at 20-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 43-thousand-814-dollars-45-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-44-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency says it has concluded its investigation regarding the two lions which were allegedly spotted between Mbangwane, Khombaso and Tsambakhulu on Wednesday. The spotting has been confirmed to be fake news. The agency’s spokesperson, Simphiwe Shungube has asked the public to desist of spreading fake news which could cause unnecessary panic in communities.

Stay tuned for more news………….