News 14:00
BULLETIN 31 July 2 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Ace Magashule eyes the Matjhabeng mayoral race
# Spain estimates about 49-thousand refugees crossed its border from Morocco in the past 24-hours
# And cricket: Twelve stadiums will host matches in the one-day World Cup in Southern Africa
# Former Free State premier and ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule, has reportedly set his sights on becoming the next mayor of the Matjhabeng local municipality in the Free State. He currently faces charges of fraud and corruption around an asbestos tender of 255-million-rand. Magashule, who is now the leader of African Congress for Transformation, reportedly seeks to challenge the ANC’s control in November’s local government elections. The municipality has faced persistent service delivery and governance challenges, making it a key electoral battleground.
# COPE has called on Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to resign following allegations of corruption, incompetence and abuse of power at the Investigating Directorate against Corruption. COPE says the findings emerging from the Madlanga commission point to systemic failures under Kubayi’s watch. Acting national chairperson, Pakes Dikgetsi, argues accountability must extend to political leadership, saying public confidence in the anti-corruption body has been undermined:
# Jan Scheepers has been appointed as new provincial police commissioner for Limpopo with effect from tomorrow after being promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. Scheepers, with almost 40-years experience in the Police Service, had been acting commissioner since the beginning of last month after Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe’s retirement. Acting national commissioner Puleng Dimpane says his appointment forms part of efforts to strengthen leadership and improve crime-fighting in Limpopo:
Moving abroad:
# Spain’s Interior Ministry says an estimated 49-thousand migrants had crossed into the enclave of Ceuta by sea and land from Morocco over the past 24-hours. Hundreds of mostly young people looking for employment and a better life, swam to the enclave, with many more arriving in boats. The reason for the suddent influx seems to be a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla cannot be summarily returned.
# Cricket: Twelve stadiums in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe will host matches in next year’s one-day World Cup. These include eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and one in the Namibian capital of Windhoek. The local fields are Newlands in Cape Town, the Wanderers in Johannesburg, Centurion in Pretoria, Kingsmead in Durban, the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Boland Park in Paarl, and St George’s Park and Buffalo Park in the Eastern Cape. The provisional dates are from 4 October to 21 November.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents and the euro at 19-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-22-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-698-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-53-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-99-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….