26 September, 2008

NEWS AT 09:00    26 September 2008

·         DA LEADER CALLS FOR JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE ARMS DEAL

·         MCBRIDE RELIEVED OF HIS DUTIES AND

·         SPEED LOVING BRAZILIAN CAPTURED

DA leader, Helen Zille, has called on newly elected President Kgalema Motlanthe to announce the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry into the arms deal. Zille says Motlanthe should also state categorically that under his watch there will be no so-called political solution to ANC President, Jacob Zuma's legal problems.    Zille suggests that any attempt to circumvent the legal process will reveal the "recall" of former President Thabo Mbeki as a cynical move by the Zuma-faction to get its man off the hook.    Motlanthe has meanwhile moved to assure the country that it's back to business after a week of high political drama. And after a tumultuous six days, the new Head of State moved to calm the country.

Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe has told world leaders gathered at the UN that he is committed to abide by the agreement he signed to form a government of national unity with the opposition party in his country. Mugabe was addressing the annual general meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York in which he paid tribute to former President Thabo Mbeki. He called on the United States and European Union countries to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe.   With the world still sceptical about the delicate power sharing deal in Zimbabwe, Mugabe has sought to allay the fears of the international community. He expressed commitment to the government of national unity in which he agreed to participate. After lashing out at his Western rivals for perpetuating colonialism in his country, he called on the UN to put pressure on Washington and the European Union to remove the sanctions they imposed on Zimbabwe, which he says are causing a food crisis.
But other African countries remain unconvinced that this is the right time to lift sanctions in Zimbabwe.

As of today, the Ekurhuleni metro police chief has been relieved of his duties - more than two months before his contract expires and without his drunk driving trial having reached its conclusion.   The decision was taken on Thursday at a council meeting headed by the municipality's new mayor, Ntombi Mekgwe.   The news comes amid a fresh scandal over McBride defying his special leave - imposed in the wake of his being criminally charged - by returning to work.    His trial has been dragging on for six months, while almost two years have passed since he crashed his state-owned vehicle after a year-end function with his officers. McBride has denied all charges.   McBride will be paid out for his full contract. It was also agreed that legal fees from his existing cases - those that arose while he was chief of police - would continue to be paid out of the council's coffers. Any new cases will be for him to fund.

Transport authorities in Brazil have caught up with a speed-loving driver who clocked up nearly $2m in fines, local media reported. Police intercepted the driver of a 12-year-old car in Sao Paulo at the spot he most frequently committed infractions, said the O Globo daily on Thursday.   For seven years, he had been speeding and running red lights, but was not arrested earlier because he never registered the car in his own name. The paper said the car, worth about $6 500, would be auctioned if the unnamed driver did not pay the $1.8m in fines in 90 days.

Finally your financial indicators.   Gold is trading at $876.   The Rand is at R8.14 to the dollar, R14.98 to the pound and a euro would have cost you R11.93.