News 14:00

BULLETIN 27 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Godfrey Lebeya’s legal counsel inform the Madlanga Commission police did not cover his legal fees
# Three people are killed and four seriously injured in a crash in Cape Town
# And a glacier collapse may have triggered the deadly flash flood in Nepal and Tibet

# Former Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya’s legal counsel has told the Madlanga commission police has not covered his legal costs. Counsel says Lebeya remains willing to assist the inquiry, but funding has not been provided. The commission’s chairperson, retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, indicated it may not have the authority to intervene directly. He advises Lebeya to consider challenging the decision after his testimony has concluded:

# The DA’s mayoral candidate in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, has pledged to establish an independent Whistleblower Protection Unit within her first 100 days if elected. She says corruption robs residents of essential services and opportunities. The unit would provide officials with a safe way to report wrongdoing without fear of intimidation or retaliation. Rasilingwane has vowed to investigate corruption allegations and ensure those responsible face consequences:

# Three people have died and four others sustained serious injuries in a collision between two minibus taxis and a truck on the N7 at Malibongwe Drive in Cape Town this morning. The Western Cape government says the N7 southbound at the Potsdam Road and Malibongwe Drive interchange remains closed. Motorists are urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes due to severe traffic congestion. Emergency and traffic officials remain at the scene as efforts continue to restore normal traffic flow.

Moving abroad:

# Satellite imagery suggests yesterday’s deadly flash flood near Nepal’s border with Tibet may have ‌been triggered when the lower part of a glacier broke off and crashed on to the valley floor hundreds of metres below. It was not clear what caused the glacier to collapse, but Nepali officials have pointed to an earthquake in South Asia as a possibility. The BBC reports the latest number of casualties have risen to 177 while 826 people remain missing.

# Rugby: The Stormers-23 have been boosted by the return of fullback Dylan Miller and lock Gary Porter ahead of tomorrow’s final Currie Cup group match against the Lions in Johannesburg. Eric Basson will make his first start at loose forward in place of injured Divan Fuller, while Luke Burger shifts to inside centre in the absence of injured Cornel Smit. Junior Springbok flank Gert Kemp is set to make his Currie Cup debut from the bench. The Stormers-23 needs to win to stand a chance of making the semifinals.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cent and the euro at 18-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-968-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-580-dollars-75-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….