News 09:00

BULLETIN 23 January 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF accuses minister Macpherson of violating National Treasury regulations
# The MK Party welcomes two new members to Parliament
# And minister Motshekga is in the DRC to assess the Defence Force personnel

# The EFF says minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has a case to answer for his interference in the Independent Development Trust. The party has opened a criminal case against the minister accusing him of corruption. This stems from a December 2024 email in which Macpherson allegedly instructed a programme manager at the Trust to facilitate payment to Lonerock Construction. The EFF’s Marshall Dlamini told Newzroom Afrika that this demand could violate National Treasury regulations:

# The MK Party has appointed Colleen Makhubele and Crown Prince Adil Nchabeleng to the National Assembly and will be sworn in next Tuesday. The party has an allocated 58 seats in the National Assembly. MK says the two are tasked with advancing its vision of radical socio-economic transformation, prioritising policies that address land expropriation without compensation, youth empowerment, and energy security. It adds that the presence of Makhubele and Nchabeleng in Parliament will amplify the voices of the marginalised.

# Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has committed to addressing the pressing issue of unemployed doctors in the province. The South African Medical Association says 450 doctors who completed community service are unemployed, highlighting the lack of strategy by the National Health Department to retain them. In the Eastern Cape alone, approximately 150 doctors have been left jobless, with some waiting over a year for placement. Mabuyane says while acknowledging the need for more doctors, the provincial Health Department is facing budgetary constraints:

# Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, is visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo. This trip forms part of the minister’s ongoing mission to prioritise the well-being and interests of South African soldiers in line with her “soldier first” principle. Motshekga aims to strengthen bilateral relations between South Africa and the DRC and assess the operational conditions and welfare of South African National Defence Force personnel deployed in the region. Since 2021, the Rwanda-backed M23 have periodically been fighting and taking control of vast swathes of eastern DRC. 

# Soccer: Defending champions Real Madrid thumped Red Bull Salzburg five-one, putting them one point off the last 16 automatic qualification places in the Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain produced a second-half fightback as they recovered from two goals down to beat Manchester City four-two. This defeat leaves Pep Guardiola’s side at risk of elimination. Arsenal all but secured their place in the last 16 with a comfortable three-nil win over Dinamo Zagreb. Guardiola says the best team won:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-49-cents and the euro at 19-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-828-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-753-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….