News 17:00

BULLETIN 29 October 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The NPA is granted a restraint order for assets worth 99-million-rand linked to Joe Sibanyoni and others
# COSATU calls on students from working-class families to apply for National Student Financial Aid funding
# And rugby: The Boks still have a lot of work to do to reach the Nations Championship finals

# The National Prosecuting Authority through its Asset Forfeiture Unit in Mpumalanga has secured a provisional restraint order over assets worth an estimated 99-million-rand linked to businessman Joe Sibanyoni and others. The order was granted yesterday by the High Court in Mpumalanga sitting in Middelburg. The assets include properties in Centurion and Pretoria, luxury vehicles, bank accounts and investments. The restraint follows police investigations into alleged extortion and related offences. The NPA says the order aims to prevent the proceeds of crime from being squandered.

# The property fraud case against alleged criminal kingpin Vusumuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala and three co-accused has been postponed to the February 11, 2027 in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for further investigations. The accused face charges linked to an alleged luxury lease fraud scheme in Waterkloof, Pretoria. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says the postponement is not unnecessary delay, explaining that financial investigations often take time to complete:

# Union federation COSATU is urging workers to encourage their dependents to apply for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme for the 2027 academic year, before Saturday’s deadline. Dependents of parents employed in the public or other sectors may qualify for the missing-middle loan. Students from families with a combined annual household income of 350-thousand-rand or less qualify for a NSFAS Bursary. COSATU’s Zanele Sabela says students from households with a combined annual income above 350-thousand-rand up to 600-thousand-rand qualify for a missing-middle loan:

# Spanish police have received 64 missing-person reports following Wednesday’s deadly train collision, as DNA testing gets underway to identify the victims. Offices have been opened in Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba and Seville, where close relatives are being asked to provide DNA samples to help match victims with missing family members. Investigators are also collecting details such as distinguishing birthmarks and physical descriptions. The death toll has since risen to 69, while 50 people remain in hospital. Forensic teams are examining the recovered bodies with rescue workers still searching the wreckage.

# Rugby: The Springboks will arrive in different groups in Italy on Sunday and Monday for next weekend’s start of the Nations Championship’s northern chapter. They play Italy in Turin next Saturday, followed by the Tests against France in Paris on the 13th of November and Ireland in Dublin on the 21st. South Africa won all three its Tests during the southern window of the new competition, but still has a lot of work to do to reach the finals weekend at Twickenham in London on the 27th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-64-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-51-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-70-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-24-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 114-dollars-69-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….