News 16:00

BULLETIN 4 September 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Dali Mpofu says the Phala Phala money is central to the case
# Disaster teams in KwaZulu-Natal are activated as severe thunderstorms threaten the southern areas
# And the Huguenot Tunnel is closed to all traffic because of strong wind

# The MK Party’s legal representative, Dali Mpofu, says foreign currency remains at the heart of the Phala Phala farm theft matter as the money is central to the charges against president Cyril Ramaphosa. In a heated exchange with Judge Mark Sher in the Western Cape High Court, Mpofu argued the case involves questions about the origins of the funds, their handling and alleged actions surrounding the theft:

# KwaZulu-Natal disaster management teams have been placed on high alert as severe thunderstorms are expected in the southern parts of the province. The South African Weather Service has issued a level four warning for heavy rain, excessive lightning and damaging winds. Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Siboniso Mngadi has urged residents in low-lying areas to remain vigilant, advising motorists to avoid unnecessary travel and take extra precautions:

In the Western Cape, the Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 between Paarl and Worcester has been temporarily closed to all vehicles because of strong crosswinds on the overpass. Drakenstein Municipality says all traffic is being diverted via the R101 and Du Toitskloof Pass. The closure will remain in place until weather conditions improve. Motorists are advised to plan alternative routes and drive carefully.

Moving abroad:

# The US military has disabled advertising trackers on phones and computers after reports that commercially collected location data was used to target American forces in the Middle East. Reuters reports the Air Force switched off the trackers on cellphones and computers two months ago, while the Special Operations Command recently disabled them on Windows devices. The Army says advertising identifiers have also been blocked on some devices. This follows growing concerns that data gathered by advertising companies and sold by data brokers could expose military personnel’s locations.

# Rugby: Veteran Australian prop James Slipper eyes a fifth World Cup on home soil next year. He just committed to a 17th Super Rugby season after extending his contract with the Brumbies. His 154 Tests is second only to Welshman Alun Wyn Jones’ 171, but he says his body still feels good and he still enjoys the game. Slipper will be 38 when the World Cup starts in October next year. He came out of retirement in July, and says he’s not shutting the door on his international career.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-93-cents and the euro at 18-rand-52-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-56-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-268-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-471-dollars-11-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 96-dollars-77-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….