News 11:00

BULLETIN 10 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC’s January 8 Statement puts cadre deployment in the spotlight
# TLU SA is concerned about the lack of responsibility to curb foot-and-mouth disease
# And the Overstrand Fire and Rescue remains on high alert

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to outline the party’s 2026 election strategy at the January 8 Statement at Maruleng Stadium in North West province today, as opposition parties demand answers on cadre deployment. The DA says it is alarmed by what it calls a rise in politically motivated appointments in ANC-run municipalities, particularly in Limpopo. DA spokesperson Nico Pienaar calls on Cooperative Governance minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to urgently investigate alleged political bias, warning that cadre deployment undermines merit-based governance and contributes to municipal collapse.

# The Agriculture Organisation, TLU SA, is concerned about the lack of responsibility from the government to curb ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in the country. The outbreaks are actively reported in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga, and the Free State, driven by livestock movement, poor biosecurity, and lack of stringent control measures. TLU SA’s Bennie Van Zyl says the government and the Agriculture Department need to come up with beefed-up regulations to manage the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease crisis:

# The Overstrand Municipality Fire and Rescue in the Western Cape remains on high alert as raging wildfires have not been contained. Municipal Manager, Dean O’Neill, says the R43 is closed between Stanford and De Kelders again today as the fire continued to sweep across parts of the district. Motorists are urgedto switch on their headlights and reduce speed when using the Grootbos and Papiesvlei gravel road detour. He adds that visibility is low due to dust and uneven surfaces along several sections of the road.

Meanwhile, the Mossel Bay Municipality in the Western Cape says the wildfire that was reported in Aalwyndal, Island View, Vakansieplaas, and along the N2 has been contained. The municipality’s spokesperson, Cornelle Carstens-Johnston, says fire crews continued operations throughout the night in the fire-affected areas. She says the Joint Operations Centre, coordinating the multi-agency firefighting operations, was closed down yesterday, but operations continued in the field, attending to hotspots:

# The Water and Sanitation Department is concerned about the escalating water supply challenges currently affecting Knysna Municipality and other coastal towns within the Garden Route District in the Western Cape. Knysna’s water supply system has reached a critical stage. The department’s spokesperson, Mandla Mathebula, says the Akkerkloof Dam, the municipality’s primary storage facility, is currently at approximately 19-percent full, translating to an estimated 13 days of usable water at present consumption levels:

# And soccer: The Ghanese player Antoine Semenyo has committed to Manchester City for the next five and a half seasons. He will leave Bournemouth, for whom he scored ten Premier League goals this season. City reportedly paid 1.4-billion-rand for the 26-year-old’s services. Semenyo was born in England, but played 32 matches for Ghana since 2022. Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are among the other clubs that were interested in him. City is currently six points behind Arsenal on top of the Premier League table.

Stay tuned for more news………….