News 17:00

BULLETIN 15 October 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Judgment in the Albert Luthuli inquest is to be delivered on 30 October
# Eugene de Kock is too ill to testify in the Cradock Four inquest
# And soccer: Morocco sets a new world record with 16 consecutive international victories

# The High Court in Pietermaritzburg will deliver judgment in the reopened inquest into the 1967 death of former ANC president Chief Albert Luthuli on 30 October. In the state’s closing arguments, it highlighted inconsistencies in the original inquest, urging the court to rule that Luthuli was murdered. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says prosecutors also requested an investigation into the disappearance of eyewitness Mbhemu Mnyandu, believed to be linked to the case:

Meanwhile, former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock will not testify in the Cradock Four inquest due to ill health. The High Court in Gqeberha resumed hearings into the 1985 murders of anti-apartheid activists Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkhonto. Their charred remains were found near the city. De Kock was scheduled to testify today, however lawyer Howard Varney, urged the court to continue despite his absence:

# The Southern African Agri Initiative has raised alarm over the collapse of South Africa’s state vaccine producer, Onderstepoort Biological Products, following its 2024/25 Annual Performance Report. The vaccine manufacturer achieved only 62-percent of its targets and lost 100-million-rand in revenue, while vaccine production decline by 24-percent, leaving farmers vulnerable to preventable livestock diseases. Saai’s CEO, Francois Rossouw, says it’s unacceptable that the Department of Agriculture continues to shield the producer from accountability while South Africa’s livestock industry collapses under preventable disease outbreaks.

# Soccer: Morocco set a new world record of 16 consecutive international victories with their 1-0 World Cup qualifying success over Congo in Rabat. Fenerbahçe forward Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the game for the Atlas Lions, who had already secured qualification earlier this month with a 5-0 trouncing of Niger. The shock 2022 World Cup semi-finalists were the first African nation to qualify for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-34-cents and the euro at 20-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-12-cents and Bitcoin trades at 111-thousand-596-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-191-dollars-41-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

# And finally: President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences to the government and people of Kenya following the death of former prime minister Raila Odinga at the age of 80, while receiving medical treatment in India. Ramaphosa described Odinga as a patriotic and selfless leader committed to Kenya’s development and peace across the continent. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the president’s thoughts and prayers are with Odinga’s family, friends, and associates:

Stay tuned for more news………….