Breakfast Edition: 13 October 2015
WATCH & LISTEN: Here's a recap of this morning's top news stories.
WATER SUPPLY PROBLEMS IN SA: The focus is on water supply, while South Africans suffer through a second heatwave, a burning sun and water shortages. According to Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, the waste water treatment works at nearly 90 municipalities across the country are considered high risk. This was releveled in Parliament, where the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, have revealed that since April this year there have been 19 cases of waste water treatment works overflowing into water bodies. She was replying to answers posed by the DA, saying that water plants in nearly 90 municipalities across the country are considered high-risk. The DA wants Minister Mokonyane to reveal the full extent of the crisis and release the 2013/14 Blue and Green Drop reports without delay. The DA's Leon Basson.
FARMER GRANTED BAIL AFTER SHOOTING INCIDENT: In the North West, a farmer from Koster has been granted bail of 5-thousand, for the fatal shooting of a cyclist. According to police, the 48-year old Cornelius Geldenuys allegedly shot a 41-year-old man after accusing him of theft. Police say the victim was pull off his bicycle a few kilometres from Geldenhuys' farm on Friday afternoon. Geldenhuys apparently asked to search the bag in Solomon Quku's hand, and an altercation ensued when the farmer is said to have found goods from his house in the bag. Quku was allegedly shot twice and died on the scene.
PUBLIC PROTECTOR VS. ANC: The political war of words continues between the Public Protector and the ANC. Thuli Madonsela's office told Netwerk 24 she's been left shocked following the ANC's criticism against her for being part of the EFF Constitutional Court case in the Nkandla matter. The EFF wants to force President Jacob Zuma se pay back a portion of the money spent on the security upgrades at his private homestead in Nkandla. Madonsela's office says they regard it as a threat - after Moloto Mothapo from the ANC's chief whip office said the Public Protector has been ill advised and this could fundamentally dent her reputation as a Chapter 9 institution.
SABC BOSS BACK IN COURT: The SABC's controversial COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng, is back in the Western Cape High Court, where arguments are expected to kick off in the DA's application to have Motsoeneng's permanent appointed reviewed. Last week, Motsoeneng lost his case at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, which ruled that disciplinary steps must be taken against him, as recommended by the Public Protector. The public broadcaster already indicated that they would take the matter to the Constitutional Court. The DA's James Selfe says they want the decision to appoint Motsoeng be declared as irrational.
MH17 REPORT TO BE RELEASED: Dutch investigators are expected to release their final report today - into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn Ukraine, in a move likely to worsen already-strained ties between Russia and the West. It's expected to say how the Boeing 777 was blown from the sky in July last year, but families of the victims have already been warned that the report will not point any fingers as to who could be held responsible. All 298 people on board were killed.
VICTOR & BRYAN MEET THE ROYALS: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her grandson Prince Harry welcomed the stars of the Rugby World Cup to a reception at Buckingham Palace on Monday. Harry, who is honorary president of the England 2015 tournament, said the competition had seen "some truly memorable moments", as well as upsets such as the host nation's elimination on Saturday. "It has been one of the most competitive and entertaining World Cups ever," Harry told the roughly 400 players, coaches, volunteers and referees who were welcomed to the palace.
LATEST OFFER FROM AIRBNB: No one has ever woken up alive in Airbnb's latest rental offer, but then again, no one has ever spent the night alongside six million dead Parisians in that city's Catacombs. For Halloween, the home rental website is offering brave travellers a night in the sprawling tunnels under the city - filled with skulls and bones that is one of Paris's most popular -- and ghoulish -- attractions. The two winners will even get their own storyteller on the night of the 31st of October - who is guaranteed to tell tales of nightmare proportions.
PLAYBOY TO STOP PUBLISHING NAKED WOMEN: Playboy magazine will stop publishing pictures of fully nude women because the ubiquity of internet pornography has made such images "passé", the company's chief executive has revealed. The New York Times reports that CEO, Scott Flanders said founder Hugh Hefner, 89, had agreed with a proposal to stop publishing images of naked women from March 2016. The redesigned Playboy, 62 years after it was launched by Hefner, will still feature a Playmate of the Month and provocative pictures of women, but they will be rated PG-13.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER'S CARS GO UP IN FLAMES: Boxer, Floyd Mayweather's pricey car collection took a massive hit this week when a trailer transporting his Bentley and 2 Rolls Royce whips burned down to the ground, according to TMZ Sports.
