News 08:00

BULLETIN 19 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Police condemn the ongoing ‘peddling of misinformation and lies’ regarding the Stilfontein miners
# A fuel tanker truck blast kills at least 70 people in Nigeria
# And rugby: The Bulls thrash Stade Francais to qualify for the Challenge Cup play-offs

# Police have condemned what it calls ‘the peddling of lies and misinformation’ regarding the alleged blasting of shaft 10 by police at Stilfontein in North West. The SAPS says in a statement it instructed its explosives team to inspect shaft 10 for any sign of an explosion and it was found that no such blasting or bombing took place. The police are also investigating the sharing of the personal information on various social media platforms of suspects arrested in the Stilfontein retrieval operation which includes names, nationalities and birth dates.

In its reaction the EFF says the Stilfontein tragedy must serve as a turning point, a moment when South Africa finally confronts the systemic injustices that dehumanise black and undocumented people and perpetuate cycles of violence and neglect. The EFF’s Sam Matiase says recently, 216 illegal miners were rescued, and 78 bodies were retrieved following months of government negligence and a disregard for human life. He says the disaster is a grim reflection of the incompetence of law enforcement:

# The Garden Route District Municipality warns extremely hot conditions that could lead to veld fires in the Northern Cape and Western Cape will continue today. The South African Weather Service has issued a warning for extremely hot conditions in the two Cape provinces. The municipality spokesperson, Gerhard Otto says the very hot temperatures along the with dry conditions and strong winds can result in the development of runaway and veld and bush fires:

# At least 70 people were killed and many more injured in northern Nigeria yesterday when a petrol tanker truck overturned, spilling fuel that exploded. The country’s National Emergency Agency said the accident in Niger state follows a similar blast in Jigawa state last October that killed 147 people, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria. More than 70 bodies were recovered and at least 56 injured with 15 shops destroyed.

# And rugby: The Bulls put in a solid performance yesterday at Loftus in Pretoria against Stade Francais beating them by 48 – 7 in a final round Champions Cup match. The home team led 36-7 at halftime. Going into the game, the Bulls had to win by more than 22 points to gain entry to the second tier Challenge Cup competition last-16 round, after being knocked out of the top-tier Champions Cup playoffs picture last weekend. The Bulls scored six tries and were awarded a penalty try.

Stay tuned for more news………….