News 18:00

BULLETIN 14 July 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Bheki Cele tells the Truth and Reconciliation Commission inquiry about the emotional aftermath of Victoria Mxenge’s assassination
# Africa is urged to become a global manufacturing powerhouse
# And the World Health Organisation says it has less than half the funding needed to fight Ebola

# Former Police minister Bheki Cele has told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission inquiry that the murder of anti-apartheid activist and lawyer Victoria Mxenge was a major blow to the liberation struggle. Testifying before the inquiry, Cele said he arrived at her home shortly after she was killed and found her blood still fresh and her body still warm. He added Mxenge’s death sparked widespread protests and resistance against apartheid:

# Deputy minister of Trade, Industry and Competition John Steenhuisen says South Africa wants to grow its manufacturing sector to create jobs and boost the economy. Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Manufacturing Indaba in Johannesburg, Steenhuisen said Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials and instead produce more value-added goods. He added stronger local manufacturing and investment are key to making the continent as a global manufacturing hub:

# A senior investigator at the Independent Directorate Against Corruption, Brian Padayachee, has denied allegations that he shared confidential police docket information with Major-General Feroz Khan on any investigations. Padayachee told the Madlanga Commission that Khan is no longer the person he once knew. While admitting he had long held reservations about Khan, Padayachee said those concerns were initially limited to questions surrounding Khan’s rapid promotion within Crime Intelligence, and not the current allegations:

# The World Health Organisation has received less than half the funding it needs to fight the Ebola outbreak in the eastern ‌Democratic Republic of Congo. It told Reuters it has received about 40-percent of its 1,9-billion-rand appeal to ⁠tackle the Bundibugyo outbreak, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine. Government data shows at least one-thousand-926 people have been infected and 702 died. The organisation estimates the ⁠true number of cases in the DRC is at least double and possibly over four times the official tally.

# Rugby: An Italian lock was given a four-match ban for foul play in last weekend’s Nations Championship match against the All Blacks in Wellington. Niccolo Cannone’s yellow card for a head-butt on New Zealand scrumhalf Cam Roigard was upgraded to red after review, forcing the Azzurri to play with 14 men for 20 minutes and eventually losing 47-17. The competition’s foul play review committee found the offence merited a ban of six weeks or matches, but it was reduced by two weeks due to mitigating circumstances.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-32-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-70-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-663-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-75-dollars-59-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….