News 07:00

BULLETIN 27 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF calls for the immediate withdrawal of SANDF soldiers in the DRC
# Jet fuel needed at OR Tambo International Airport secured
# And tennis: Jannik Sinner wins second consecutive Australian Open title

# The EFF says president Cyril Ramaphosa and minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, must be held accountable for the deaths of nine South African National Defence Force soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The nine were among 13 peacekeepers killed by M23 rebels. The EFF member of Parliament, Carl Niehaus, told Newzroom Afrika that the SANDF troops deployed in the DRC are under-resourced and ill-prepared to face the dangers posed by the well-equipped M23 rebels:

Meanwhile, RISE Mzansi demands Ramaphosa and Motshekga to urgently brief the nation on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mission status. This follows the death of nine South African Defence Force soldiers. The party says the SANDF remains underfunded with resource shortages leading to immense challenges. RISE Mzansi calls for accountability on mismanagement that risks soldiers’ lives.

# The Department of Transport says a total of 121.1-million litres of jet fuel needed at OR Tambo International Airport has been secured. This follows a fuel shortage as a result of the shutdown of the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa, which caught fire earlier this month. The refinery will open at the end of February. Minister Barbara Creecy, who met with fuel industry stakeholders last week, says parties will work to ensure the imported fuel supply moves from the Port of Durban to OR Tambo in time for airline needs.

# The DA in Gauteng demands a review of outdated school quintile classifications following oversight inspections revealing overcrowded classrooms and infrastructure crises. DA’s Gauteng Education spokesperson, Sergio Isa dos Santos, emphasised that quintile misclassification impacts funding for essential repairs. Dos Santos calls for accurate classification and increased funding to address maintenance, build new schools, and ensure a safe, conducive learning environment:

# Tennis: World number one Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev to win his second consecutive Australian Open title and third Grand Slam. The Italian saw off the German, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, to become just the eighth player in the Open era to win the first three Grand Slam men’s singles finals he has contested. Sinner, who is now on a 21-match winning streak at the hard-court majors, says he felt the extra pressure of playing as the defending champion:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-52-cents and the euro at 19-rand-37-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-46-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-758-dollars-76-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the SAPS Charity Golf Day has raised over eleven-million-rand for the South African Police Service Education Trust, supporting children of officers who died in the line of duty. Since 2010, SAPSET has assisted over one-thousand-700 children, with 54 graduates and 146 matriculants. Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk says police leadership emphasises the initiative’s role in empowering young South Africans through education and fostering academic excellence:

Stay tuned for more news………….