News 09:00

BULLETIN 9 February 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Inkatha Freedom Party says SONA was uninspiring and a repetition
# The GOOD Party says president Ramaphosa fell short of announcing a basic income grant
# And, Freedom Under Law wants to intervene in judge Hlophe’s application at the Constitutional Court

# The Inkatha Freedom Party says the State of the Nation address was uninspiring and a repetition of what has been said in the past five years. Delivering the last SONA of the ANC’s sixth administration yesterday evening, president Cyril Ramaphosa sought to highlight the achievements of the past three decades, saying South Africa is in a much better place than it was during apartheid. IFP leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa, says the speech was an admission of failure including not dealing with state capture:

Meanwhile, the GOOD Party says it is disappointed that Ramaphosa did not commit to a social security overhaul. The president doubled down on plans to make the shift to a permanent basic income grant a reality in South Africa, saying that this will be done by extending and amending the social relief of distress grant. The party’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, says basic income support is the foundation on which government can build a stable and effective economy:

# Freedom Under Law is seeking to intervene in suspended Western Cape judge-president John Hlophe’s application to the Constitutional Court. He has approached the highest court asking it to set aside the decision of Parliament’s Justice committee recommending to the National Assembly that he be removed from judicial office. He also wants the court to direct Parliament to adopt rules for the impeachment of judges. Freedom Under Law says the purpose and effect of the relief Hlophe sought was to prevent judicial accountability.

# The US Department of Justice special counsel, Robert Hur, has found that president Joe Biden wilfully retained classified documents after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen. However, he found that no criminal charges were warranted. FBI agents recovered classified documents from Biden’s Delaware home. The special counsel’s 345-page report stated that Biden’s conduct presented serious risks to national security. Biden says he is pleased that no charges would be brought in this case:

# Golf: England’s Bradley Bawden and Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen are tied at the top of the leaderboard following the opening round of the Cape Town Open at the Royal Cape Golf Club. They share a one-stroke lead on six-under 66 at the second of four Sunshine and European Challenge Tour co-sanctioned tournaments. A group of six players, including South Africans Tristen Strydom and Stefan Wears-Taylor, are just one shot adrift of the lead on five-under 67. Defending champion Benjamin Follett-Smith of Zimbabwe finished the first round on three-under-par 69.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-95-cents and the euro at 20-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-92-cents and Bitcoin trades at 45-thousand-927-dollars-12-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-32-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….