News 16:00

BULLETIN 29 January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa mourns the deaths of 13 South African soldiers in the DRC conflict
# The planned Cape Winelands Airport is not a threat to ACSA
# And rugby: Players investigated over rape claims in Argentina are included on the bench for France against Wales

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deepest condolences following the deaths of 13 South African National Defence Force soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The soldiers were part of the peacekeeping mission. Ramaphosa honoured their sacrifice and reiterated that South Africa’s military presence is not a declaration of war on any country, but part of peacekeeping efforts. He called for an immediate end to hostilities and urged all parties to engage in peace talks to ensure stability in the region.

# Airports Company South Africa CEO Mpumi Mpofu says the planned Cape Winelands Airport, set to open in 2027, will not threaten Cape Town International Airport. She emphasised that multiple airports can coexist, citing global examples. Cape Winelands Airport will serve as an alternative for flight diversions and ease congestion. Its development, starting this year, includes a 3.5-kilometre runway and new facilities.

# Eskom is enforcing stricter regulations on grid-tied solar power systems. The power utility has declared that all unregistered connections are illegal, even if they do not feed electricity back into the grid. According to spokesperson Daphne Mokwena, Eskom seeks to ramp up efforts to regulate all the solar systems connected to the network. She told SABC News that less than two thousand customers are currently registered:

# The DA says it could take 25-years to clear Gauteng’s title deeds backlog, leaving thousands of residents in limbo. The party claims the provincial Department of Human Settlements has issued only 32-thousand title deeds in the past five-years, despite a backlog of 178-thousand. The DA’s Mervyn Cirota says title deeds are crucial for homeownership security and has vowed to push for urgent action:

# Rugby: Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, who were investigated in Argentina over rape claims last year before they were dismissed, will start on the bench for France’s Six Nations opener against Wales. The case against the 21-year-old forwards was dropped last month, but the complainant’s lawyer has appealed, with a hearing set for 10 February. The pair are given their chances for Friday’s game at the Stade de France due to injuries to flanker Charles Ollivon and lock Thibaud Flament.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-66-cents and the euro at 19-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-686-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-756-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….