News 13:00

BULLETIN 27 September 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Gauteng deputy police commissioner oversees the Murray and Van Niekerk murder cases
# Eskom is committed to eliminating load reduction
# And the UN awards the Dag Hammarskjöld medal posthumously to major Tolla Pieterse

# Acting police deputy national commissioner, Khasi Senthumule has assigned Gauteng deputy provincial commissioner Mbuso Khumalo to assume oversight of the double murder investigation. This is into the killing of father and son, Cloete and Thomas Murray, and the murder of attorney Bouwer van Niekerk. The Murrays shooting occurred along N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria in March 2023. Van Niekerk was shot and killed inside the offices of SmithSew in Sandton earlier this month.

# Eskom says it is committed to eliminating load reduction within the next 12 to 18 months. Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says this goal will be achieved by addressing 640-thousand illegal connections and upgrading infrastructure. She adds that this includes the installation of smart meters, curbing illegal electricity vending, and expanding access to free basic electricity in priority areas:

# Statistics South Africa says the number of liquidations fell by 0.8-percent in August compared to the same month last year. The data shows liquidations of close corporations dropped by eleven cases, while company liquidations increased by ten. Stats SA’s Onica Mushwana says liquidations rose by nearly eight-percent in the three months ending August and increased by 1.5-percent in the first eight months of this year compared with last year:

# Three suspects have been detained for questioning after the discovery of two murdered victims on a plot in the Kranspoort area along the N11 Groblersdal road in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. Police spokesperson, Fundiswa Maphanga says police responded to a complaint on the plot. He says upon arrival, members discovered the dismembered bodies of two unknown victims:

# Great Britain’s Katie Boulter and Cameron Norrie both suffered straight-set defeats at the China Open. British number two Boulter suffered a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 loss against Wimbledon and US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova, having beaten her American compatriot Hailey Baptiste in round one. In the men’s draw, Norrie is also out after losing to eighth-seeded Daniil Medvedev in the first round. He beat the Russian at the French Open earlier this year, but fell short on the rematch, losing 6-3, 6-4 in Beijing.

# And finally: The United Nations awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to the late South African National Defence Force member, major Tolla Pieterse. SANDF deputy Chief Joint Operations, Major General René Mercuur, says Pieterse was fatally wounded in July 2024 when a hand grenade exploded close to his sleeping quarters in the Beni base in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He says the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award presented by the UN to the families of military, police, or civilian personnel who have lost their lives while serving in its peacekeeping operations.

Stay tuned for more news………….