News 17:00

BULLETIN 2 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lawyer rejects claims that the president is evading accountability
# The IEC says 546 political parties are set to contest the 2026 local government elections
# And: The Charlie Kirk murder suspect pleads not guilty

# President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lawyer Wim Trengove says the section 89 independent panel failed to properly consider whether the president acted deliberately or in bad faith over the Phala Phala farm theft. Trengove told the Western Cape High Court the panel asked the wrong legal questions and did not properly assess all the evidence, including Ramaphosa’s version that he acted in good faith:

# The Electoral Commission says 546 political parties will contest the 4 November local government elections, representing 75-percent of all registered parties. Two-hundred-and-27 national parties, 33 provincial parties, 49 metropolitan parties and 237 district-level parties have nominated candidates. Briefing the media, IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the high level of political participation reflects strong interest in the upcoming elections:

# The Public Servants Association is calling on government to implement urgent measures to cushion South Africans from the massive fuel price hikes this month. The petrol price has increased by one-rand-34-cents per litre, and the diesel price has gone up by between two-rand-94-cents and three-rand-15-cents per litre. PSA’s Claude Naicker says urgent measures, including immediate tax relief and long-term structural changes to fuel prices, need to be implemented. He adds that government must also accelerate the implementation of affordable and reliable public transport:

# The man accused of killing US conservative activist Charlie Kirk has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and six other charges. A Utah judge has ruled that prosecutors can pursue a death-penalty trial if Tyler Robinson is convicted. Prosecutors presented evidence they say links the 23-year-old to the shooting at a university event last September. Defence lawyers argued the case does not meet the legal threshold for capital punishment. Robinson’s trial date has not yet been set.

# Golf: Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods, who is scheduled to appear in a Florida court today, is reportedly set to change his not guilty plea as part of an ongoing driving under the influence case. The 50-year-old was arrested after he crashed his Land Rover in Florida in March. He passed a breathalyser test but refused a urine test. Woods pleaded not guilty to misdemeanour charges of D-U-I with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-10-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-69-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-583-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-331-dollars-65-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 96-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….