News 18:00

BULLETIN 16 October 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC’s former spokesperson, his wife, and co-accused are granted bail in their corruption case
# The government of national unity is to hold its first policy conflict resolution session
# And rugby: Good news for the Bulls as David Kriel’s red card is rescinded

# ANC national executive committee member and former national spokesperson, Pule Mabe, his wife, and five others have been granted bail of 30-thousand-rand each at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng. They face corruption charges over a 27-million-rand tender awarded in 2017 to Mabe’s company, Enviro Mobi, for tuk-tuks intended to benefit 58 waste pickers in the City of Ekurhuleni. The Special Investigating Unit found misrepresentation in the tender process. The judge postponed the matter to 25 March next year.

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile is set to convene the inaugural meeting of the government of national unity’s clearing house mechanism tonight. The ten parties in the coalition government, including the ANC and the DA, aim to resolve policy disagreements and disputes within the unity government. In a media briefing Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the clearing house will ensure alignment on key priorities like job creation, poverty reduction, and building an ethical state while respecting cabinet’s final decisions: 

# AfriForum Youth is demanding an apology from the University of Pretoria after EFF leader Julius Malema’s lecture, where EFF Student Command members allegedly chanted violent and racist slogans. They criticised the university for allowing the event, saying it goes against its policy of inclusivity and non-discrimination. AfriForum Youth’s Maree van den Berg also called for the deregistration of the EFF Student Command, citing repeated campus safety violations: 

# A judge in the American state of Georgia has blocked an order for ballots in November’s presidential election to be counted by hand. Judge Robert McBurney ruled poll workers would not have received adequate training to handle millions of ballots, adding the last-minute change would have led to administrative chaos. The hand count mandate was passed by the pro-Trump majority on Georgia’s election board earlier. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris welcomed the ruling. Early voting in Georgia has seen record numbers casting their votes in the key swing state.

# Rugby: Bulls’ centre David Kriel has had his red card rescinded after a disciplinary hearing. He was sent off during Saturday’s United Rugby Championship match against Ospreys in Wales. After Kriel’s hearing, the panel agreed that the 49th-minute incident had enough mitigation for the card to be revoked. This means he becomes immediately available for selection as the Pretoria outfit prepares for their second match of a three-week European tour. The Bulls face Scarlets at 8:35 Friday night.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-61-cents and the euro at 19-rand-18-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-967-dollars-28-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-678-dollars-92-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….