News 16:00

BULLETIN 10 January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Women in Stilfontein lead the fight for the rescue of trapped miners
# Transnet prepares to allocate rail slots to private operators
# And Rugby: Glasgow Warriors and Racing92 kick off this weekend’s Champions Cup action

# The group Mining Affected Communities United in Action says women in Stilfontein in North West are leading the fight for the rescue of miners trapped at the disused Buffelsfontein gold mine. A community member, Zinzi Tom, has taken legal action for the state to step in and save the miners. The advocacy group’s Magnificent Mndebele says the miners, who are often labelled as illegal, are facing life-threatening conditions underground:

# The recently established Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager is set to allocate its first rail slots to private train operators, following the December release of its network statement. Interim CEO Moshe Motlohi told Engineering News that applications close 7 February, with winners revealed in 60 days. Initial routes include manganese, iron ore, and container shipments. He says that addressing maintenance backlogs and securing funding remain priorities as Transnet aims to achieve a 250-million-ton target by 2030.

# Johannesburg City Parks has called on families to inspect gravesites as heavy rains have caused flooding, erosion, and collapsed headstones in cemeteries. Affected areas include Avalon, Waterval, Olifantsvlei, and Westpark cemeteries. Families are asked to report issues by providing details about the deceased and grave location. Johannesburg City Parks says it offers support for grave reinstatement. It warns that with rain expected through March, vigilance is essential to preserve resting places of loved ones.

# European Commission vice-president, Kaja Kallas, says US president-elect Donald Trump is correct in calling for Nato countries to increase their defence spending. This week Trump said Nato countries should spend at least five-percent of their gross domestic product on defence, up from the current two-percent target. Last year, Poland spent 4.12-percent of its GDP on defence with the US spending 3.4-percent. Kallas told Sky News that Nato’s defence must be strengthened:

# Rugby: Champions Cup action kicks off tonight at 10 when coach Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors host French outfit Racing92. The Scottish side won seven points from a possible ten in their two matches in Europe’s premier competition to date. A win would all but guarantee a place in the knockout stages for a second successive campaign. Wing Kyle Steyn captains the side as he makes his first Champions Cup appearance of the campaign. British and Irish Lions prop Rory Sutherland also makes his first start since October.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-1-cent and the euro at 19-rand-58-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-39-cents and Bitcoin trades at 94-thousand-884-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-577-dollars-54-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-89-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….