News 13:00

BULLETIN 5 November 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# More sensational evidence before the Madlanga commission 
# The GOOD Party slams the George Municipality for withdrawing the claim against the owners of the collapsed building
# And rugby: Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am is leaving for Japan

# Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo told the Madlanga commission controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala filed a motion in the High Court in Pretoria to recover confiscated goods, including five firearms, seized during a raid at his home. Matlala stands accused of attempted murder. Khumalo says the weapons remain under investigation. He says the court dismissed the application with costs in December last year, ruling it was not urgent, and Matlala withdrew it the same day:

# The GOOD Party has expressed disappointment at the George Municipality’s decision to withdraw its nearly ten-million-rand recovery claim against the owners of the collapsed building property in Victoria Street. A total of 34 workers were killed in last year’s disaster. The site will be auctioned later this month so liquidators can recover their money from the owners. GOOD’s Chantelle Kyd says it is clear accountability is optional when it comes to powerful or well-connected property owners:

# The Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services has placed a property in Gouda under quarantine. This comes after a farmer in the Free State reported suspected foot-and-mouth disease lesions in cattle recently transported from the Gouda area. The department’s spokesperson, Mary James, says during the inspection, veterinarians observed suspected lesions in the animals’ mouths. She adds that samples have been collected and sent for laboratory testing to confirm or rule out FMD.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has issued a warning about high-risk rabies areas in South Africa where the disease occurs in dogs, Cape fur seals and other mammals. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects all mammals and can be spread to humans in the saliva of infected animals through bites, scratches, and licks. The department’s spokesperson, Prince Mtsweni, says there have been human deaths attributed to rabies from dogs in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Limpopo this year:

# Rugby: Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am is leaving the Sharks to further his career in Japan. The 31-year-old double World Cup winner has played more than 100 games for the Durban-based team since joining them from the Southern Kings in 2016. Am signed a deal with Japanese team Sagamihara DynaBoars. He is currently on the Springbok standby list for the end-of-year tour and will probably only depart after the tour, but in time for the start of the Japanese League One season next month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-48-cents and the euro at 20-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-79-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-910-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-967-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….