News 16:00

BULLETIN 4 February 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The former State Security minister faces corruption charges
# AfriForum seeks clarity as the Hawks confirm the VBS Bank investigation is complete
# And soccer: Manchester City spent 4.18-billion-rand on signings in January

# Former minister of State Security Bongani Bongo appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today on corruption charges. He is accused of attempting to bribe a member of Parliament’s portfolio committee to halt Eskom-related proceedings in 2017. Impeached former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe acquitted Bongo in 2021, but the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the decision. He was granted five-thousand-rand bail, and must return on 4 March. Bongo told the media outside court the case was baseless:

# AfriForum is calling for transparency and clarity after the Hawks confirmed completion of their investigation into VBS Bank, confirming that prosecutions will follow soon. AfriForum’s Barry Bateman says the organisation’s Private Prosecution Unit has requested confirmation on whether charges of racketeering, money laundering, and corruption, as alleged by AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel, are included. The organisation insists that Kriel’s stance covers broader criminal allegations beyond VBS. AfriForum argues that Kriel’s affidavit should be formally merged into the case docket.

# SA Canegrowers says the sugar tax has not effectively addressed obesity, despite claims to the contrary. The organisation argues the tax has instead led to significant job losses, particularly in the sugar industry, with over 16-thousand jobs lost in the first year of its implementation in 2018. SA Canegrowers chairperson Higgins Mdluli says health activists’ ongoing call for Finance minister Enoch Godongwana to raise the sugar tax is misguided and if implemented it will further harm rural livelihoods.

# Soccer: Manchester City’s spending for last month has increased to 4.18-billion-rand with the signing of Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez for 698-million-rand. This is the second biggest spending in a January window, behind the 6.3-billiion-rand Chelsea paid in 2023. Gonzalez, who joins from Porto, is the fifth player City has signed in the current window. The 23-year-old says he wants to test himself in England, and believes City is the best club for him to do that. He describes its players as world-class.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-76-cents and the euro at 19-rand-36-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-26-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-419-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-818-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-80-cents a barrel.

# And finally: It’s World Cancer Day and Stellenbosch University says cervical cancer remains a major health challenge. Doctor Robyn Adams says more than 90-percent of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with sub-Saharan Africa being one of the hardest hit regions. She says this is despite advances in early detection and prevention:

Stay tuned for more news………….