News 18:00

BULLETIN 8 January 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cyril Ramaphosa emphasises transformation is a generational task
# Rise Mzansi flags over 25-million-rand paid to suspended SAPS officers in under two years
# And, AfriForum welcomes the court ruling declaring the licence card tender unlawful

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says transforming South Africa was never going to be a one-day event but a generational process. Speaking during the ANC’s 114th birthday celebrations at the Moses and Rebecca Kotane wreath-laying ceremony in North West, Ramaphosa said 347 years of colonialism and apartheid destroyed the country’s fortunes. He acknowledged ongoing poverty and unemployment but said progress is being made, particularly in education, with expanded access and increased funding:

# Rise Mzansi says more than 25-million-rand has been paid in salaries to 233 suspended police officers in less than two-years. In response to a parliamentary question, acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia revealed some of the suspended officers face serious charges, including rape, corruption, extortion, robbery and hijacking. The party’s Makashule Gana wants clarity on how many cases led to officers being dismissed, warning that compromised police put public safety at risk:

# AfriForum has called on the Department of Transport to initiate a new, transparent tender process for driver’s licence cards. This follows  after the High Court in Pretoria ruled the appointment of French firm IDEMIA to print licence cards was unlawful and invalid. The court ruling followed concerns by the Auditor-General over irregularities in the bid evaluation process. AfriForum’s Louis Boshoff says the department must be held accountable for appointing a flawed bid evaluation committee:

# Africa4Palestine has condemned the US actions in Venezuela, saying Washington aims to seize the country’s resources. Speaking outside the US Embassy in Pretoria during an emergency protest for the release of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, activist Ben Coetzee claimed the US is concerned about Chinese influence in South America. He called for international order and warned of broader global consequences if such actions go unchallenged:

# Cricket: Harry Brook will retain England’s white-ball captaincy despite getting a final warning for an incident in a New Zealand night club during last year’s one-day series. He was fined for his altercation with a bouncer in Wellington, which apparently happened after he was refused entry. Brook apologised and described his behaviour as embarrassing. The incident was revealed after England’s 4-1 Ashes series defeat to Australia. The culture in the visitors’ camp already faced scrutiny after players were seen heavily drinking between the second and the third Test.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-683-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-424-dollars-17-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….