For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: Six accused plead guilty to murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran; Shortlisted Public Protector candidates cleared ahead of interviews; And, ActionSA and DA want SARB report to be made public

Six accused plead guilty to murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran

The six men accused of murdering whistleblower Babita Deokaran pleaded guilty to her murder in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg today.

The plea happened on the second anniversary of Deokaran's murder.

Deokaran was killed after she blew the whistle on alleged fraud and corruption at Tembisa Hospital.

Shortlisted Public Protector candidates cleared ahead of interviews

The Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee, which will nominate a new Public Protector, met today to reveal the results of the suitability screening of each of the eight remaining candidates.

The remaining candidates are Professor Boitumelo Mmusinyane, magistrate Johannah Ledwaba as well as advocates Kholeka Gcaleka, Muvhango Lukhaimane, Tselilo Thipanyane, Lynne Marais, Oliver Josie, and Tommy Ntsewa.

The term of current Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane ends in October.

The State Security Agency and the South African Police Service found no illicit activities among any of the candidates and the legal qualifications of each of the candidates were verified.

And, ActionSA and DA want SARB report to be made public

Opposition parties are requesting South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago to make public the report into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s failure to disclose the foreign currency which was stolen at his Phala Phala farm in 2020.

This after the SARB announced yesterday that it found that Ramaphosa's Ntaba Nyoni Estate, which owns the Phala Phala game farm, was not "legally entitled" to the $580 000 it allegedly received from Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa for 20 buffalo.

SARB found no wrong doing by Ramaphosa as it concluded that the transaction was not completed and so there was no contravention of the Exchange Control Regulations.

ActionSA President Herman Mashaba said his party will be filing an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to get access to the SARB report, explaining that should the application be denied the party will approach the High Court seeking an order compelling the SARB to furnish it with the report.

Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Finance Dr Dion George explained that the report is completely silent on the apparent fact that foreign currency was actually in the President’s possession, saying this is the crux of the matter, not whether the transaction was perfected or not.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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