News 18:00

BULLETIN 9 February 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The City of Johannesburg welcomes the High Court’s dismissal of the DA’s case on the city manager’s appointment 
# The EFF clarifies its election manifesto launch plans in KwaZulu-Natal
# And Athletics: Caster Semenya appeals for donations ahead of her European Court case 

# The High Court in Johannesburg has dismissed the DA’s case against the City of Johannesburg regarding the appointment of city manager Floyd Brink. The court also directed the party to pay the city’s legal costs. Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda welcomed the court’s decision. He accused the DA of launching racially charged attacks against Brink under the guise of accountability. Gwamanda urged the administration to remain focused, committed, and compliant with administrative laws for the benefit of all residents.

# The EFF will not organise transport for outside supporters to Durban for tomorrow’s manifesto launch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Party leader Julius Malema toured KwaZulu-Natal this week, mobilising local support while cautioning against political violence that is prevalent in the province. EFF treasurer-general Omphile Maotwe told the SABC the party is ready to compete peacefully for electoral support, dismissing concerns over support for the new party, Umkhonto we Sizwe, in the province: 

# The Minerals Council of South Africa issued a warning regarding the country’s diminishing mining output, now 13-percent below 1980s levels. Chief economist Hugo Pienaar underscores the sector’s significance as a major employer and tax contributor, employing over 477-thousand South Africans and generating 140-billion-rand annually for the state. Pienaar attributes the industry’s decline to challenges like load-shedding, logistical bottlenecks, plummeting commodity prices, and escalating labour costs, prompting discussions on restructuring unprofitable operations.

# Athletics: Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya is urging South Africans to contribute to her legal case scheduled at the European Court of Human Rights in May. Switzerland is contesting the court’s ruling of discrimination against Semenya and others. Assisted by the Commission for Gender Equality and the South African Human Rights Commission, Semenya challenges the ban on women athletes with naturally higher testosterone levels, imposed by World Athletics regulations:

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-1-cent and the euro at 20-rand-50-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand and Bitcoin trades at 47-thousand-170-dollars-21-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-23-dollars-88-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-10-cents a barrel

# And finally: A new Oscar – for best casting – will be awarded from 2026. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the decision after casting directors campaigned in recent years to be recognised together with other film crafts like sound, costumes, hair and make-up. It says casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking. The new Oscar will bring the number of categories to 23. BBC News reports stunt performers are also campaigning for their own category, but haven’t succeeded yet.

Stay tuned for more news………….