News 06:00

BULLETIN 9 January 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cyril Ramaphosa maintains the ANC remains the party of choice
# Blade Nzimande says NSFAS loans and bursaries surged under his leadership
# And, the United Nations condemns the latest deadly strikes in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the ruling party exist to serve South Africans and remains the party of choice. He addressed the cake-cutting ceremony at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga yesterday, as the ANC celebrated its 112th anniversary. Ramaphosa says the formation of the ruling party was also to unite people in the country and it has led to the process of ending apartheid:

# Higher Education, Science and Innovation minister, Blade Nzimande says the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has significantly increased loans and bursaries under his leadership, supporting over one-million students. He highlighted the scheme’s impressive growth, surging from 8.96-billion-rand in 2014 to a substantial 47-billion-rand last year. Nzimande outlines the student-centric approach, improved procedures, and ongoing endeavours for a seamless commencement of the 2024 academic year. Nzimande says he remains steadfast in his commitment to anti-corruption efforts and ensuring assistance for underprivileged students:

# The South African Medical Association has attributed the unemployment crisis among doctors to poor planning and corruption by government officials. The South African Medical Association Trade Union reported that over 800 qualified doctors are unemployed due to budget constraints in the Health Department. SAMA’s Mvuyisi Mzukwa points to poor governance and leadership as significant issues, along with shortages in human resources for health on ground level.

# The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department has arrested one-thousand-113 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol during the festive period, and apprehended 221 motorists for excessive speeding. The department implemented rigorous measures, including roadblocks and intensified patrols, to ensure road safety. It says the arrests highlight proactive efforts to curb dangerous driving behaviours and maintain law and order on the roads. JMPD’s Angie Mokasi urged all motorists to adhere to traffic regulations and prioritise safety.

# The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has strongly condemned the recent surge of attacks on cities across Ukraine. The latest attack in the Donetsk region has killed nearly a dozen civilians, including five children. Since the 29th of last month, the UN has recorded nearly 120 civilians killed across Ukraine, and just under 480 injured. UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, says indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas are unacceptable and forbidden under international humanitarian law.

# Cricket: Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s top-order batter, Dawid Malan, says their first target in this year’s SA20 is to survive the round-robin stages. The defending champions get the season going at home in Gqeberha against Joburg Super Kings tomorrow. St George’s Park is expected to be packed to the rafters, while Malan says he is really looking forward to playing in front of the stadium’s famous band. The English player believes a few early victories will give them momentum for the rest of the competition.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-58-cents and the euro at 20-rand-36-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-73-cents and Bitcoin trades at 46-thousand-613-dollars-59-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-32-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-35-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….