News 17:00

BULLETIN 28 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Madlanga Commission questions Andrea Johnson over a Political Killings Task Team summons
# The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service warns about tax season fraud
# And: KwaZulu-Natal is placed on a Level 6 weather alert as the threat of heavy rain intensifies

# The Madlanga Commission has questioned former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption head Andrea Johnson over a summons she authorised relating to promotions within the Political Killings Task Team. Commissioners challenged her after she previously testified of becoming aware at the commission that the unit was under investigation. Evidence leader Mahlape Sello questioned IDAC’s interest in the PKTT, despite previously telling Parliament’s ad hoc committee that she had no knowledge of the unit:

# The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service is warning taxpayers to be on high alert for scams during the tax filing season. Chief Executive Officer Manie van Schalkwyk says fraudsters are using fake SARS emails, SMS messages, and phone calls to steal personal and banking information or to redirect tax refunds. Taxpayers are urged to verify all SARS communications through official channels and avoid clicking on unsolicited links. He says suspicious activity should be reported immediately to SARS, banks and the police.

# It took an Airbus A350 exactly 24 hours and 24 minutes to complete a test flight as part of Quantas Airline’s Project Sunrise from Melbourne in Australia to Toulouse in France, setting a new record for a non-stop flight. Qantas has previously indicated that trans-pacific crossings – taking advantage of wind conditions – are an option for the non-stop Sydney-London route, to be launched under Project Sunrise in October next year. Airbus has designed the aircraft with a 20-thousand-litre integrated fuel tank to enable it to achieve the range needed for the route.

# Rugby: Argentina’s coach, Felipe Contepomi, has included ten uncapped players in his squad for the Test against South Africa and two matches against Australia. Several experienced players have commitments with their European clubs and aren’t available. Los Pumas host the Springboks in Buenos Aires next Saturday, and the Wallabies in San Salvador de Jujuy on the 29th, and Mendoza on 5 September. The Tests were organised in this year’s absence of the Rugby Championship due to the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-75-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-4-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-27-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-488-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-29-dollars-53-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

# And finally: KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has urged residents to stay alert after the South African Weather Service raised its heavy rain warning to level six. The warning, in effect until tomorrow night, covers eThekwini and several other coastal municipalities. The department’s Senzelwe Mzila says there is a high risk of flooding, damage to homes and infrastructure, disruptions to essential services and dangerous travel conditions:

Stay tuned for more news………….