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Chief Executive Officer in court for R6.3m fraud allegations

EASTERN CAPE – A Chief Executive Officer of Melting Point, Gcisakazi Mdlulwa (40), appeared in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Monday, 07 June 2021 for allegations of R6.3 million fraud.

It is alleged that on the 02 February 2017 a company by the name of Melting Point represented by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gcisakazi Mdlulwa held a meeting with Wild Coast Sun Mbizana Development Trust and proposed hosting of an O.R Tambo centenary programme planned for October 2017.

In terms of the proposal it is reported that Melting Point was seeking the permission to partner with the Trust wherein the Trust would provide funding for the purchase of the Dome that was to be erected in Mbizana where the activities of the centenary celebrations were to take place.

It is further alleged that she suggested that the Dome would also subsequently be an asset of the Trust which would be used for the benefit of the community. It is reported that she further advised that the Trust would be assisted in sourcing the grant funding from the National Lottery Commission.

The grant was applied for and approved, the funds were deposited into the Trust account. It is alleged that Melting Point provided the Trust with a quotation and an invoice of the Dome and cash to the value of R6.3 million was transferred to an account held by Melting Point for the Dome that was never erected. The matter was referred to the Mthatha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for probing hence her arrest on 03 June 2021.

The Mthatha Specialised Crime Court granted Mdlulwa bail of R5000 following her brief appearance. The matter has been remanded to 27 July 2021 to set a trial date.

Source: South African Police Service

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Collaboration between Gauteng police and private security companies leads to the arrest of eight members of hijacking syndicate

PARKTOWN – Collaboration between the police and private security companies led to the arrest of eight men who are suspected to be part of a syndicate that hijack trucks in Gauteng. Police also recovered four firearms, a jamming device, hijacked vehicle and an ambulance used in the commission of crime.

Police received information of a planned truck hijacking which would happen somewhere along the R59 freeway. The information was operationalised and a team that included Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit, Tshwane Tactical Response Team, Crime Intelligence, West Rand K9, Johannesburg K9, Fidelity Specialised Services and Community Active Protection was activated.

The team kept close observation along the freeway when they spotted three vehicles, including a marked ambulance, following the truck on the R59 at about 11h00 on Tuesday 08 June 2021.

Police intercepted the vehicles and suspects responded by firing shots at the police which led to a shootout and high speed chase.

The ambulance came to a halt on the R59 and three suspects were apprehended after they were found with two firearms and a jammer. One more suspect was in a Mazda and arrested.

Police pursued the Mercedes Benz and managed to apprehend four more suspects on the M2 East and recovered two firearms. Preliminary investigation revealed that the Mercedes Benz was hijacked in Moffatview in May 2021.

This brings to total 10 suspected truck hijackers arrested in Gauteng in a space of two days following the arrest of the initial two on Monday (07 June) in Sedibeng.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner commended the team that acted diligently to curb the suspects that might be linked to various cases of courier vehicles and truck hijackings in the province, especially on the freeway.

“This is a breakthrough for us in Gauteng as we have been searching for suspects that are behind the hijacking of trucks in our province, especially after truck hijackings was one of the crimes which showed a rise as we were presenting the 4th quarter statistics two weeks ago”

In a separate incident, police arrested three suspects and recovered two unlicensed firearms and stolen items after a furniture shop was robbed in Heidelberg on the morning of Tuesday, 08 May 2021.

Source: South African Police Service

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Leaders urged to unite in addressing climate change

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on leaders on the continent to speak with one clear voice to emphasise the primacy of multilateralism, and to express unwavering support for the full implementation of the United Nations Climate Change Convention and its Paris Agreement.

“It is absolutely imperative that everyone must contribute their fair share if we are to limit global warming to the agreed target of well-below two degrees, build the resilience of our economies and ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens,” President Ramaphosa said.

Addressing the virtual meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on Tuesday, the President said the continent needs a strong and well-coordinated common African position.

“We need to adopt key messages that encapsulate Africa’s aspirations, and work together in the spirit of unity and solidarity as a continent.

“We need to send a clear message that all African countries require support from international partners and that our development space, should be respected to achieve our climate goals and ambitions, while contributing our fair share to the global effort,” the President said.

He said the continent needs recognition of its different national circumstances and capacities, as it is not realistic to expect it to meet the same timelines as developed countries to transition its economies and to disinvest from fossil fuels.

“This is important, especially given the high levels of inequality, unemployment and developmental needs across our continent, particularly among women and the youth.

“Furthermore, we need to send a clear signal that implementation and ambition apply equally to mitigation, adaptation and support. Increased ambition for action must be matched with enhanced ambition for support,” the President said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on sustainable development and efforts to combat environmental degradation, it also presents opportunities for Africa to set its recovery on a path of transformative sustainable development.

“In this regard, many governments and regions are prioritising a green recovery as part of their stimulus packages to address the crisis.

“The African Green Stimulus Programme adopted by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment in December 2020, is an innovative African-led initiative to support the continent’s recovery,” the President said.

The African Green Stimulus Programme seeks to harness the opportunities of a green recovery through a more coordinated approach and the scaling up of resource mobilisation, capacity building and technology development.

“… It is clear that Africa will need climate change, environment and sustainable development initiatives to be implemented at a much larger scale. This is not only to contribute significantly to Africa’s green recovery, but also to fully realise the Africa we want as espoused in Agenda 2063.

“We must therefore do everything within our means to ensure a successful outcome of COP26 in November this year, particularly for Africa,” said President Ramaphosa.

The President chaired the virtual meeting of the CAHOSCC in his capacity as coordinator of this continental structure.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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FXCM Pro partners with multi-asset trading platform Fortex

LONDON and SYDNEY, Australia and JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FXCM, the leading international provider of online foreign exchange trading, CFD trading and related services, announced that FXCM Pro, the institutional arm of the business, is partnering with Fortex, a leading multi-asset trading technology platform.

The partnership between FXCM Pro and Fortex integrates FXCM Pro’s liquidity with Fortex’s XForce 2.0 platform. XForce 2.0 is a multi-asset trading platform that packs liquidity aggregation, order and risk management, MT4/5 Bridges, FIX API, hosting, and multiple trading GUI into one valued cloud native SaaS offering in NY4/LD4/HK1.

FXCM Pro will combine its world leading multi-asset trading technology solution with Fortex’s market leading service, providing institutions and professional traders with a first-class trading experience and access to key industry platforms.

Daniel Chen, CEO and Co-founder at Fortex, commented: “Fortex specializes in helping enterprise clients innovate and re-orient their trading business to fuel continuous growth. From exchange products to FX/CFD to crypto derivatives, we discover deep values for our clients by leading changes and overcoming pain points, armed with superior computing power and data insights. Our team holds a client first, liquidity neutral and broker agnostic principle. FXCM Pro’s transparent and pure agency model resonates with our core value. We are very excited to partner with FXCM Pro.”

Mario Sanchez, Managing Director and Global Head of FXCM Pro Sales, commented: “FXCM Pro’s liquidity management team continues to work hard to develop partnerships that will enhance execution and trading efficiency. Our latest partnership with Fortex provides us with an additional channel, and we are both aligned in our strategy of easing connection and offering customized trading solutions. Through this partnership, we are ensuring that FXCM Pro’s liquidity is easily accessible to a wide pool of brokers, hedge funds and professional traders.”

Disclaimers:

This communication is intended for institutional and professional clients only.

About FXCM:

FXCM is a leading provider of online foreign exchange (FX) trading, CFD trading, and related services. Founded in 1999, the company’s mission is to provide global traders with access to the world’s largest and most liquid market by offering innovative trading tools, hiring excellent trading educators, meeting strict financial standards and striving for the best online trading experience in the market. Clients have the advantage of mobile trading, one-click order execution and trading from real-time charts. In addition, FXCM offers educational courses on FX trading and provides trading tools, proprietary data and premium resources. FXCM Pro provides retail brokers, small hedge funds and emerging market banks access to wholesale execution and liquidity, while providing high and medium frequency funds access to prime brokerage services via FXCM Prime. FXCM is a Leucadia Company.

Trading Forex/CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors.

Leverage can work against you. The products are intended for retail, professional and eligible counterparty clients. Retail clients who maintain account(s) with Forex Capital Markets Limited (“FXCM LTD”), could sustain a total loss of deposited funds but are not subject to subsequent payment obligations beyond the deposited funds but professional clients and eligible counterparty clients could sustain losses in excess of deposits. Prior to trading any products offered by FXCM LTD or other firms within the FXCM group of companies [collectively the “FXCM Group”], carefully consider your financial situation and experience level. If you decide to trade products offered by FXCM Australia Pty. Limited (“FXCM AU”) (AFSL 309763), you must read and understand the Financial Services Guide, Product Disclosure Statement, and Terms of Business. Our FX and CFD prices are set by us, are not made on an Exchange and are not governed under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act. The FXCM Group may provide general commentary, which is not intended as investment advice and must not be construed as such. Seek advice from a separate financial advisor. The FXCM Group assumes no liability for errors, inaccuracies or omissions; does not warrant the accuracy, completeness of information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these materials. Read and understand the Terms and Conditions on the FXCM Group’s websites prior to taking further action.

About Fortex

Founded in 1997, Fortex Technologies aims to revolutionize trading with its powerful, neutral, multi-asset trading platform focused on the FX, equities, and crypto markets. Fortex’s XForce solution, ECN, MT4/5 bridges, infrastructure hosting and more are used by regional banks, hedge funds, asset managers, broker dealers and professional traders around the world to enhance liquidity access, improve execution workflows and support sophisticated trading strategies. For more information about Fortex, please visit www.Fortex.com

Media contact:

Chatsworth Communications
+44 (0) 20 7440 9780
fxcm@chatsworthcommunications.com

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Sophi.io Wins Two INMA Global Media Awards

TORONTO, June 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s artificial intelligence-powered optimization and prediction platform, was announced as a winner of the International News Media Association (INMA) Global Media Awards in two categories, Best Use of Data to Automate or Personalize, and Best in Show for North America.

“The INMA Global Media Awards focus on excellence across all areas of the media business,” said Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. “I’m particularly pleased that Sophi’s fully dynamic, real-time, personalized paywall won in two categories, and that Sophi’s ground-breaking automated print laydown technology was nominated for its use with Naviga and Agderposten.”

Sophi also took second place in the categories of Best Initiative to Acquire Subscribers and Best Use of Data to Drive Subscriptions, Content, or Product Design and was shortlisted as a finalist in the following categories: Best Initiative to Register Users, and Best Product and Tech Innovation.

This year’s competition drew 644 entries from 212 news brands in 37 countries. The judges were 44 global media experts focused on breakthrough results, unique concepts, strong creativity, innovative thinking, and winner synergies across platforms.

“Great use of data with huge impact. Personalizing paywalls is key for success in the digital subscription business for news media. This entry presents more evidence why this is true,” one judge said about the paywall technology. “Their development of user- and content-propensity models is a best practice that others can learn from,” said another judge.

Another judge remarked: “Incredible Artificial Intelligence-driven personalization, and perfect embracing of the need to insert data-science talent into a news organization. Excellent impact and numbers.”

Sophi’s fully dynamic, personalized, real-time paywall uses natural language processing (NLP) to analyze both content and user behaviour to determine when to ask a reader for money or an email address, and when to leave them alone. It can optimize for multiple outcomes simultaneously (such as different bundles or price points) and also works well in cold-start situations.

Sophi is an AI platform that helps publishers identify their most valuable content and leverage it to achieve key business goals, such as maximizing subscriptions. Publishers on four continents now use Sophi’s AI/ML technology to power paywall decisions, website automation and print automation.

Sophi’s automated print laydown solution, which powers Naviga Publisher, earned an honourable mention in the Best Product and Tech Innovation category. An INMA judge commented: “Sophi – as the first of its kind – is a great example of an automated print laydown solution. Amazing to see that the work of the editor is reduced only to the selection of the content. The automation of up to 80% of newspapers’ editorial pages could be a game-changer of the print industry.”

Last year, Sophi also won the Online Journalism Award (OJA) for Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism, handed out by the Online News Association (ONA), and both the World Digital Media Award and the North American Digital Media Award awarded by The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) in the category of Best Digital News Start-up.

About Sophi.io
Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) was developed by The Globe and Mail to help content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. It is a suite of AI and ML-powered optimization and prediction tools that includes Sophi Site Automation and Sophi Dynamic Paywall as well as Sophi Analytics, a decision-support system for content publishers. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to your business, such as subscriber retention and acquisition, engagement, recency, frequency and volume.

Media Contact  
Jamie Rubenovitch 
Head of Marketing, Sophi 
The Globe and Mail         
416-585-3355  
[email protected]
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Police seek murder and house robbery suspect

Police in Sterksruit are on the hunt for a house robbery and murder suspect following an incident that occurred at Tienbank locality on Sunday evening, 6 June 2021.

It is alleged that at about 23:30, a couple were in their house when the suspect pushed open the door and demanded the vehicle keys. A scuffle ensued between them and the suspect fatally shot the male and assaulted his girlfriend with the firearm. She sustained an open wound on her head. The suspect fled with the couple’s vehicle. The tracker was activated and the vehicle belonging to the couple was found abandoned with the key still inside.

Police are appealing to any person who can assist in tracing the suspect to contact the investigating officer D/Cst Belebese onl 051 6119234 or 071 352 9234 or Crime Stop 0860010111.

Source: South African Police Service