News 08:00

BULLETIN 8 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul Mashatile says the government will continue to address the lack of service delivery in the Western Cape
# Wayne Duvenage says municipalities lack financial discipline and leadership
# And Los Angeles declares a state of emergency due to fast-moving wildfires

# ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile says the national government will continue to address the lack of service delivery in the Western Cape, as many communities are not getting help from the provincial government. Mashatile was speaking during the party’s door-to-door campaign in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, yesterday in the run-up to the January 8th Statement as part of its 113th anniversary programme. He has accused the DA of neglecting residents in the province:

# Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse CEO Wayne Duvenage says South African municipalities do not lack funding; they lack financial discipline and effective management. In an opinion piece for the Daily Maverick, he says contrary to popular belief, municipalities are not underfunded. In 2010, collective municipal revenue was about 154-billion-rand, and by 2024 this figure had ballooned to 517-billion-rand. This represents an average annual increase of nine-percent. Duvenage says the government needs to enhance oversight and accountability in municipalities, strengthen leadership, and control personnel and other costs.

# KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Siboniso Duma says the truck driver involved in a deadly multi-vehicle crash on the N3 on Van Reenen’s Pass on Monday night has been identified. He is a 37-year-old Zimbabwean national. The death toll from the accident has been revised from 18 to 17 with only one survivor. The department’s spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, says preliminary investigation reveals that the minibus lost control, swerved toward the right oncoming traffic lane and collided with a truck head-on:

# The City of Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency as a wildfire, fueled by strong winds, has resulted in over 30-thousand residents being asked to evacuate their homes. Several homes in the Pacific Palisades area have been damaged. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. The White House says president Joe Biden has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support impacted communities. Los Angeles County Fire Chief, Anthony Marrone, says the fire could worsen throughout the day:

# Cricket: England Test captain Ben Stokes has undergone another hamstring surgery and will be out of action for at least three months. The 33-year-old tore his left hamstring during England’s final Test in New Zealand in December last year. After tearing the same hamstring playing in The Hundred last August, he missed four consecutive Test matches, three at home to Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan. This latest surgery means Stokes won’t play in the ICC Champions Trophy next month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-72-cents and the euro at 19-rand-37-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-626-dollars-8-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-667-dollars-8-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….