News 18:00

BULLETIN 13 May 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Fannie Masemola, Vusimusi Matlala Medicare 24 corruption tender case is postponed for further investigations
# Four Mexican nationals are among 11 arrested in a drug raid in Swartruggens in the North West
# And, Soccer: Argentinian Lionel Messi remains Major League’s best-paid player

# The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has postponed the Medicare 24 tender corruption case involving suspended police commissioner Fannie Masemola, businessman Vusimusi Matlala and several senior police officers to June 26. Masemola faces charges linked to alleged breaches of the Public Finance Management Act, while Matlala and 12 co-accused face fraud and corruption charges tied to the 228-million-rand tender to provide healthcare services to South African Police Service. The State says new evidence has emerged and further investigations and document verification are still underway.

# The South African Federation of Trade Unions says the figures in the latest quarter one 2026 Labour Force Survey expose an economy in deep structural crisis, and a society being pushed towards desperation. Unemployment rate rose by 1.3 percentage points, from 31.4-percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 32.7-percent in the first quarter of this year. Saftu’s Asive Dyani says South Africa cannot sustain employment growth while continuing down the path of deindustrialisation:

# Four Mexican nationals are among eleven suspects arrested in a major drug bust on a farm in Swartruggens in North West. Police say the intelligence-led operation uncovered a multimillion-rand drug manufacturing laboratory, which has since been dismantled. The suspects also include a woman. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the arrests send a strong warning to organised crime syndicates as police continue efforts to disrupt drug manufacturing and distribution networks:

Meanwhile Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku has praised provincial traffic officers after a major drug bust at the Tsitsikamma Toll Plaza on the N2. Officers found about 15 bags of compressed dagga during a routine vehicle check and arrested the driver, while a passenger escaped and remains on the run. Sileku says near Grabouw, officers also arrested a driver after discovering 22 bags of abalone worth more than 600-thousand-rand hidden in a vehicle:

# Soccer: Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi, remains the highest-paid player in North America’s Major League, being paid more than double the next-highest earner. Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami late last year which saw his base salary double and the overall deal increasing to 466-million-rand per year in guaranteed compensation. The second-highest earner, Son Heung-min of LAFC, is earning 184-milliion-rand. The salaries exclude compensation for endorsements. Messi scored 59 goals for Miami in 64 matches since joining in 2023.  

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-45-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-23-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-629-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-678-dollars-85-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….