News 08:00

BULLETIN 10 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA rejects president Cyril Ramaphosa’s misleading claims on social grants
# A US court questions the limits of a broad claim of presidential immunity
# And soccer, the Bafana Bafana coach is concerned about injuries ahead of Afcon

# ActionSA says it rejects the malicious and misleading claims by president Cyril Ramaphosa that social grants may be removed if the ANC loses power in the elections this year. Speaking in Mpumalanga on Monday, the president said if the ANC fails to attain the majority vote, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and social grants may be scrapped. ActionSA’s, Lerato Ngobeni, says this type of fearmongering is typical of the ruling party, who are now resorting to outright lies to prevent an electoral loss:

# Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald has accused government of not showing commitment to curb firearm theft within its ranks. The party believes the responses to its inquiries reveal lenient penalties for state officials involved in firearm losses. Delays in investigations and minimal preventative measures within the Department of Defence are alleged to be the main contributors to the problem. The FF Plus urges a more vigorous approach, emphasising the severity of the issue, especially when compared to government’s efforts to restrict lawful private firearm ownership.

# Gold One Mine in Springs, Ekurhuleni, insists that due process was followed in the dismissal of over 400 workers, who took part in two underground sit-ins in October and December last year. Workers downed tools over a labour dispute on organising rights at the mine, leading to over 500 workers failing to resurface from an underground shaft. Gold One Mine’s, Ziyaad Hassam, says a sanction of dismissal is the most severe form and is not taken lightly. The National Union of Mineworkers has vowed to challenge the dismissals.

# Three judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit panel have questioned the limits of a broad claim of presidential immunity. This comes as former president Donald Trump has argued that he cannot be prosecuted for trying to overturn the 2020 election; because it involved actions he took while president. The government’s attorney, James Pearce, warned that allowing presidential immunity from prosecution would open a floodgate:

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has expressed concern about several injuries in the squad ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast. Several players, including captain Ronwen Williams and Themba Zwane, could not take part in the team’s final training session due to niggling injuries. Defender Mothobi Mvala is in doubt after he suffered a groin strain. Broos says it will be a huge blow for the team if Mvala is ruled out of Afcon:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-67-cents and the euro at 20-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-72-cents and Bitcoin trades at 46-thousand-184-dollars-62-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-31-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-77-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….