News 13:00

BULLETIN 22 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# RISE Mzansi says the judiciary must be protected at all costs to preserve the rule of law 
# The Eastern Cape Liquor Board welcomes the guilty verdict for the Enyobeni tavern owners
# And Athletics: A former Olympic champion says the proposed change to the long jump format is an April Fool’s joke

# RISE Mzansi has welcomed the decision taken by the National Assembly to impeach suspended Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe. It says it’s critical to stress the profound importance of the work and independence of the judiciary. Spokesperson Boitumelo Mpakanyane says in a constitutional democracy such as South Africa’s, it’s critical that the judiciary be held to the highest of standards and its officials conduct themselves in a manner befitting of such a role:

# The Eastern Cape Liquor Board welcomes the guilty verdict against Enyobeni tavern owners,  Siyakhangela and Vuyokazi Ndevu, following the deaths of 21 teenagers in June 2022. The couple was found guilty of allowing underage persons into their establishment and serving them alcohol. The court ruled they violated the Eastern Cape Liquor Act by failing to prevent minors from entering. The board’s spokesperson, Mgwebi Msiya, expresses satisfaction with the verdict, hoping it would serve as a deterrent to other liquor traders:

# A Kruger National Park employee was attacked by a hyena while sleeping at the Berg-en-Dal staff living quarters yesterday morning. SANParks spokesperson Isaac Mahlangu says the woman sustained injuries to her arm and is in stable condition. The hyena has been euthanised. This follows another recent attack, where a giraffe injured a couple in Greenstone Wildlife Estate, Mpumalanga, during an afternoon walk on Valentine’s Day. Sakkie Dednam says his wife, Yvonne, suffered memory loss due to severe head injuries.

# The household food basket price has decreased, but still remains too high. In February, it dipped slightly to five-thousand-277-rand-30-cents, down by 0.9-percent from January, but remains 7.1-percent higher than February 2023. The survey, conducted by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, involved women from low-income communities shopping across various locations. Programme coordinator Mervyn Abrahams notes the typical February decrease, but warns of potential March price rises, aligning with historical trends.

# Athletics: Former American Olympic champion Carl Lewis describes the proposed format change to the long jump as an April Fool’s joke. World Athletics’ CEO, Jon Ridgeon, proposes replacing the take-off board with a take-off zone, thereby doing away with foul jumps for overstepping. Jumps would then only be measured from where athletes took off to where they land in the pit. Lewis, who won nine Olympic golden medals, says long jump is the most difficult item and the change would eliminate the special skill it requires.

Stay tuned for more news………….