News 12:00

BULLETIN 8 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Jacob Zuma is demanding the reinstatement of his ANC membership
# BOSA calls on minister Ronald Lamola to mediate in the Mozambique crisis
# And Tennis: Jessica Pegula and Maria Navarro reach the quarterfinals in Adelaide

# Former president Jacob Zuma’s lawyers have sent a letter of demand to the ANC, requesting the reinstatement of his membership by the 31st of January. In November last year, the party’s National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal upheld the decision of the National Disciplinary Committee to expel Zuma. He was expelled for bringing the party into disrepute and establishing and leading a rival political party. Jacob Zuma Foundation’s spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, says they have procedural and substantive concerns regarding the ANC’s processes:

# Build One South Africa says it has formally appealed to the International Relations and Cooperation minister, Ronald Lamola, to intervene in the escalating political crisis in Mozambique. The country has been experiencing post-election violence, with over 20 killed and thousands fleeing to neighbouring countries. BOSA’s spokesperson, Roger Solomons, says leader Mmusi Maimane has received a letter from the leader of Mozambique’s opposition party, Venancio Mondlane, expressing concerns about his safety as he prepares to return to his home country tomorrow:

# The opening of the Grootdraai Dam’s sluice gates in Mpumalanga has brought relief to the Vaal Dam, which had been at only 25-percent capacity in December. The water influx, caused by heavy rainfall, is expected to boost levels in the Vaal Dam. The dam is an essential part of the Integrated Vaal River System, which provides water to Gauteng. The province is currently on level one water restrictions, as water consumption has risen significantly, with daily usage reaching approximately 270 litres per person, surpassing the target of 175 litres.

# Tennis: Jessica Pegula dropped just five games to romp past Maria Sakkari at the Adelaide International in a delayed start to her season days before the Australian Open. The top seed and US Open finalist, who had a bye in the first round, overwhelmed the Greek former world number three, 6-4, 6-1. Second-seeded fellow American Emma Navarro, ranked eight in the world, came through a tougher assignment needing two hours to battle past Ekaterina Alexandrova, 7-6, 6-4.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-79-cents and the euro at 19-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 29-rand-40-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-645-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-651-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Eswatini and the Mpumalanga province have made CNN Travel’s list of 25 destinations that are worth visiting this year. The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, the third biggest canyon in the world, is a must-see for visitors in Mpumalanga. While Eswatini’s Sibebe Rock, which is the largest exposed granite pluton in the world, is a challenging but rewarding hike. Other places that have made the list include Almaty in Kazakhstan, Germany’s Chemnitz, and Gdańsk in Poland.

Stay tuned for more news………….