News 13:00
BULLETIN 4 February 1 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The Electoral Commission says the process of registration is a continuous exercise
# Helen Zille encourages South Africans to recognise the power of one
# And, rugby: Victories for Scotland and England in Six Nations
# The Electoral Commission’s deputy CEO, Masego Sheburi, says the process of registration to vote for the upcoming elections is a continuous exercise in South Africa. For those in need of assistance with identity documents from Home Affairs, its offices are open today, facilitating the collection and issuance of the necessary documents for registration purposes. Sheburi praises the department for its exceptional support. He stresses registration does not end after this weekend:
In another development, the DA’s federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, is encouraging all South Africans to recognise the power of one, emphasising the upcoming elections is a pivotal moment for the nation. She says while millions have pledged to vote for the party, the reality is the outcome can hinge on just one vote. Zille urges every South African who loves this country to embrace the power of one positively:
And in Senegal, president Macky Sall has postponed the presidential elections due later this month in a decree announced yesterday. He cited controversies over the disqualification of some candidates and allegations of corruption in election-related cases. Sall repealed the law that convened the electoral body just as campaigning was set to begin for the election on the 25th of this month in one of West Africa’s most stable democracies. The decision follows the establishment of a parliamentary commission investigating the integrity of two judges from the Constitutional Council.
# Rugby: Scotland ended 22 years of hurt in Cardiff after they thwarted a spectacular Wales fightback to win an extraordinary Six Nations clash 27-26. It was Scotland’s first win in the Welsh capital since 2002, ending a run of eleven successive defeats. Earlier, England survived a scare to record a 27-24 victory over Italy. For only the third time in 31 Tests between the sides, an inspired Italy led at the interval, but their 17-13 advantage was methodically picked apart.
# And finally: Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment minister Barbara Creecy, has welcomed the declaration of De Berg Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga as South Africa’s 30th Ramsar site. The declaration is under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The department’s spokesperson, Peter Mbelengwa, says estuaries, marshes and vleis, rivers and lakes, and the biodiversity that they preserve, matter for health, food supply, tourism and jobs. He adds wetlands are vital for humans, ecosystems and the climate.
Stay tuned for more news………….