News 09:00

BULLETIN 13 February 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Justice minister says the institutions tasked with fighting corruption must be strengthened
# Standard Bank sees the hosting of the G20 Summit as a significant business opportunity
# And mediators are working to salvage the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement

# Justice and Constitutional Development minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, says effectively ridding the state of corruption requires strengthening institutions that are tasked with fighting corruption. The Special Investigating Unit has saved some eight-billion-rand in state coffers in the 2023/2024 financial year. In addition, the SIU successfully set aside contracts worth over 2.13-billion-rand through the Special Tribunal and the High Court. Kubayi says the government must rid itself of all corrupt practices so that an ethical and capable developmental state can be created.

# Standard Bank says South Africa’s role as host of the 2025 G20 Summit and its associated B20 Summit, presents a significant business opportunity. South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency in December 2024, becoming the first African country to hold the presidency of the world’s premier economic cooperation grouping. Standard Bank’s, Oscar Siziba, says the B20 Summit, the official business engagement forum of the G20, will provide a platform for private sector leaders to influence global economic policy that drives business-friendly reforms:

# ActionSA in Johannesburg says while critical service delivery departments in the metro struggle with inadequate office equipment, vital assets at the metro centre in Braamfontein are left to deteriorate, stolen or vandalised. Following the decanting of the metro centre for safety reasons last year, all departments abandoned their office equipment, including furniture, copiers, and IT assets. ActionSA’s, Sarah Wissler, says this is a disgraceful failure of governance and resource management:

# Mediators Egypt and Qatar are intensifying diplomatic efforts in an attempt to salvage the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The future of the ceasefire agreement was thrown into jeopardy on Monday when Hamas announced it would postpone the release of the next group of hostages. It cited alleged Israeli violations of the truce. In reply, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said if Hamas does not return the hostages by Saturday afternoon, the ceasefire will end. The mediators are urging all parties to adhere to the terms of the agreement.

# Soccer: Liverpool missed the chance of going nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a two-all draw against Everton at Goodison Park. Everton took the lead early through Beto, but the Reds responded instantly with Alexis Mac Allister equalising. Mohamed Salah had looked to have won it for Liverpool however James Tarkowski lashed in a 98th-minute equaliser to salvage a point. Everton manager, David Moyes, says this was an exciting Merseyside derby:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-47-cents and the euro at 19-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-237-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-917-dollars-72-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-22-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….