News 15:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 6 September 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Hawks raid the Polokwane municipality to seize evidence tied to Thembi Simelane’s VBS loan
# OUTA calls for the cancellation of the driving licence card machine deal amid tender irregularities
# And, rugby: History favours the All Blacks in Cape Town

# The Hawks have raided Polokwane Municipality in Limpopo, seizing evidence related to Justice Minister Thembi Simelane’s 575-thousand-600-rand loan from a VBS-linked fixer for a Sandton coffee shop when she was the mayor. The search targeted Simelane’s former personal assistant, seeking documents and communications connected to 349-million-rand the municipality invested in VBS. The loan and investment are under investigation for potential corruption and money laundering. Simelane briefed Parliament’s portfolio committee on Justice, and asserted she adhered to all corrective measures to resolve the matter:

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has called for the cancellation of the driving licence card machine contract awarded to French firm IDEMIA and Security SA. The organisation raised concerns about irregularities in the bidding process and significant budget overruns, with costs soaring from 468-million- to nearly 900-million-rand. OUTA’s Wayne Duvenage welcomes Transport minister Barbara Creecy’s decision to investigate the tender, calling for a thorough review to ensure transparency and fairness: 

# A 23-year-old woman accused of drowning a young child in the Eastern Cape is set to return to the Mqanduli Magistrate’s Court for a formal bail application on Monday. Police spokesperson Siphokazi Mawiza says Noluvuyo Sinyikatha allegedly lured the six-year-old girl to a local dam on Wednesday. She says Sinyikatha was arrested and charged with murder:

# At least 17 learners have died after the boys’ dormitory at a school in central Kenya caught fire last night. Police and the Education ministry say there are fears the death toll could rise as more than a dozen others have been taken to hospital with severe burns. The cause of the fire at the Hillside Endarasha Primary in the Nyeri county is not yet known. The dormitory that caught fire was housing 156 children. President William Ruto has called the fire horrific and has ordered an investigation.

# Rugby: The All Blacks have a better record in Cape Town than the Springboks, having won seven of the ten Tests played in the Mother City. The first game between the teams in Cape Town was in 1928, with the All Blacks winning 13-5. The last match was in 2017 at Newlands, which the All Blacks won 25-24. Tomorrow’s winner will also clinch the Freedom Cup, which has been contested since 2004. The All Blacks have held the cup since 2010.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-71-cents and the euro at 19-rand-67-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-34-cents and Bitcoin trades at 56-thousand-63-dollars-63-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-519-dollars-72-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….