News 08:00

BULLETIN 7 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A professor believes the case against the publication of matric results is not strong
# The US Congress certifies Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory
# And golf: Scottie Scheffler will miss the American Express tournament following a hand injury

# The Information Regulator’s case against the Basic Education Department is lacking strength. This is the view of Stellenbosch University’s professor Mbulungeni Madiba. The Pretoria High Court will today hear an urgent application by the regulator to obtain an interdict against the release in the media of the 2024 matric results. The regulator fined the department five-million-rand for its intention to publish the results. Madiba told the SABC that the regulator will need to present strong evidence:

# The Automotive Business Council says a new 150-percent investment allowance to boost electric and hydrogen vehicle production in South Africa is welcomed. Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa, told Engineering News that the allowance, effective until 2036, should help retain and attract manufacturers, including Chinese companies, to produce vehicles and electric vehicle components locally. He emphasised that more support is needed and called for tax cuts on imported electric vehicles and consumer incentives.

# The City of Tshwane says it is still studying the outcome of the South African Local Government Bargaining Council’s ruling, regarding the suspended five officials implicated in the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works tender award. The metro has been ordered that the officials, who were charged with allegations of misconduct in the tender award, should return to work on the 20th of January. The metro’s spokesperson, Selby Bokaba, says the council also ruled that the workers be compensated two months’ salary owing to the unfair suspension:

# The US Congress formally certified Republican president-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory on Monday. Vice president Kamala Harris, who Trump defeated in the election, presided over the event as required by the US Constitution. The event marked a stark contrast with the last time Congress convened to certify election votes on January 6, 2021, when Trump’s supporters tried to prevent the certification of president Joe Biden’s victory. Harris says the peaceful transfer of power is one of the most fundamental principles of American democracy:

# Golf: World number one Scottie Scheffler has withdrawn from next week’s American Express tournament to give his hand injury more time to heal. The American cut his hand on broken glass while preparing Christmas dinner, for which he required surgery. The injury forced him to withdraw from the season-opening Sentry, which Hideki Matsuyama won over the weekend. Scheffler, who won nine titles last year including the Masters, says he hopes to start his 2025 season at Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which starts on January 30th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-59-cents and the euro at 19-rand-31-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-714-dollars-6-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-637-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….