News 09:00

BULLETIN 7 January 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The FF Plus says the ANC cannot speak on behalf of South Africa regarding Venezuela
# Fourteen South Africans caught in a recruitment trap in Thailand will be deported today
# And soccer: Ivory Coast and Algeria are through to the AFCON quarterfinals

# The Freedom Front Plus says the ANC cannot speak on behalf of South Africa regarding the events in Venezuela or its foreign policy. The ANC has strongly condemned the US military action in Venezuela, which led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, accusing Washington of acting as a self-appointed policeman of the world. FF Plus leader, Corné Mulder, says the free world is under a moral obligation to act against countries with autocratic governments:

# Fourteen South Africans detained in Thailand after being recruited for fraudulent jobs last year are set to be deported back to South Africa today. Recruited with promises of well-paid positions as IT specialists, some allegedly ended up engaging in scamming activities. In contrast, others were allegedly deployed to the military amid the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it has been working closely with Thai officials to ensure their safe return. South African authorities urge people to verify job offers through official channels.

# South African Communist Party general-secretary Solly Mapaila says the party is rallying for unity among allies, the people, and revolutionaries. Speaking at the 31st Annual commemoration of liberation stalwart Joe Slovo in Soweto, Johannesburg, Mapaila attributes current divisions within the alliance to the government’s neoliberal agenda. Mapaila stressed that the party’s actions are aimed at strengthening the movement, not seeking government positions. He emphasised focus is on social transformation.

# ActionSA in Gauteng is calling on the Education Department to provide immediate clarity and timelines for the placement of the remaining four-thousand-858 Grade 1 and 8 learners. This represents approximately 1.5-percent of the total 358-thousand-574 complete online applications received for the 2026 academic year. ActionSA’s Zwelithini Mtshali says they are concerned about the performance of the department’s online admissions system, as technology cannot be allowed to override fairness and common sense:

# Soccer: Ivory Coast’s quest for back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations titles remains on track, after booking their place in the quarterfinals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso in Morocco. Manchester United winger, Amad Diallo, scored one goal and provided an assist for the second goal by Yan Diomande, with teenager Bazoumana Toure grabbing the third. Meanwhile, Adil Boulbina’s goal deep into extra time was enough to send Algeria into the quarterfinals, sealing a hard-fought 1–0 victory over DR Congo in Rabat.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-35-cents and the euro at 19-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-708-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-469-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 59-dollars-92-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….