News 07:00

BULLETIN 10 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Assembly will debate the SANDF’s presence in the DRC today
# The Afrikaner Self-Determination Party calls for a Volkstaat
# And golf: England’s Jamie Rutherford wins the Cape Town Open

# The National Assembly will today hold a DA-sponsored debate on the South African National Defence Force’s presence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This follows the death of 14 SANDF soldiers, who were part of a peacekeeping mission. The DA says minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga’s blatant incompetence and lack of care in the face of this crisis, and president Cyril Ramaphosa’s deafening silence amidst growing calls for answers, are shameful.

Meanwhile, a joint summit of the Southern Africa Development Community and East Africa Community has directed regional defence chiefs from both blocs to meet within five days. This is to provide technical direction on an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and direct efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, including repatriation of victims and medical evacuations. Since last month, nearly three-thousand people have been killed in the north and south Kivu provinces of the DRC.

# Afrikaner Self-Determination Party leader, Jurg Prinsloo, asserts that the only constitutional solution for Afrikaner people is the creation of a Volkstaat. Prinsloo emphasises that the party, recognised in international law, can only be fully exercised through an independent people’s state. He critiques the 1994 reintegration of indigenous black people’s states into South Africa and highlights growing violence and discrimination against white South Africans, particularly farmers. He calls for international support, particularly from the US in achieving this goal.

# The South African Human Rights Commission has escalated its current investigation on Stilfontein’s Operation Vala Umgodi in the North West into a national inquiry. Nearly two-thousand illegal miners resurfaced at the Buffelsfontein Mine since August last year, and at least 78 zama zamas died. The commission’s advocate Sandra Makoasha, told the SABC that the decision to institute a national inquiry is necessitated by the magnitude of what transpired in Stilfontein, submissions received from members of the community, miners, and NGOs:

# Golf: England’s Jamie Rutherford claimed his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour, with a two-stroke win in the Cape Town Open at the Royal Cape Golf Club. He shot a final round 69 in windy conditions to win on 14 under par. South Africa’s Keenan Davidse finished second on 12 under par with a final round of 67, while American Matt Oshrine finished in third place. Rutherford says he is happy that his consistency has paid off:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-52-cents and the euro at 19-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-481-dollar-70-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-866-dollars-92-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-9-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital has become the first in Gauteng to perform MitraClip implants to treat severe mitral regurgitation successfully. Spokesperson Motalatale Modiba says this minimally invasive procedure drastically reduces recovery times and offers a life-changing solution for elderly or high-risk patients unable to undergo open-heart surgery. Modiba says the hospital’s success marks a significant step in South Africa’s healthcare system. Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has praised the public-private collaboration.

Stay tuned for more news………….