News 08:00

BULLETIN 3 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC targets 100-thousand inmates over the registration weekend 
# The Iranian president says they will respond strongly to bullying
# And, mixed martial arts: Dricus du Plessis departs on a two-day belt tour

# The Independent Electoral Commission aims to register 100-thousand inmates at some of the country’s 243 correctional facilities this weekend. The commission seeks to boost voter participation compared to 2019. Since inmates challenged the old Electoral Commission in 1999, they’ve had unrestricted voting rights. Visiting the prisons in the week, IEC’s Mosotho Moepya said the inmates will also have access to the online registration portal:

# Significant progress has been made by the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services and partners, with all fire lines now contained. Due to ongoing hot weather, teams remain vigilant for potential flare-ups and will continue mopping up operations. Spokesperson Anesca Roodt attributed the success to collaborative efforts that have been crucial in managing the fires over the past 10 days:

# Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi says his country will not start a war but it will respond strongly to anyone who tried to bully it. Raisi’s comments came after days of speculation about how Washington might retaliate after three US soldiers were killed last Saturday in a strike on their base in Jordan by an Iranian-backed group. CBS News, citing US officials, reported earlier America had approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities in those countries.

# Cricket: The Sunrisers Eastern Cape secured the second spot on the SA20 standings with a 44-run win against the Paarl Royals at Boland Park, Paarl, yesterday evening. Chasing 209 to win, the Royals suffered their third successive loss, finishing on 164 for seven. An impressive unbeaten 71 off 31 balls by Marco Jansen helped Sunrisers to their bonus-point victory. Today, M-I Cape Town take on Pretoria Capitals and Joburg Super Kings are up against Durban’s Super Giants.

# And finally, mixed martial arts: South Africa’s first UFC champion, Dricus du Plessis, will show his precious belt to supporters in Pretoria today after a visit to Cape Town yesterday. He paid a visit to the Stormers rugby team, and fans swarmed to the V&A Waterfront to meet the champion. Today, Du Plessis will stop at Menlyn Maine Mall from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

Stay tuned for more news………….