News 11:00

BULLETIN 17 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COSATU welcomes the conviction of Steinhoff’s Iwan Schelbert
# Paul Mashatile urges support for war veterans
# And, Donald Trump threatens new tariffs on countries opposed to his Greenland takeover

# COSATU has welcomed the conviction of former Steinhoff director, Iwan Schelbert, by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Schelbert pleaded guilty to fraud and agreed to testify, receiving five years imprisonment. The federation calls it a long-overdue win for workers and pensioners who lost 24-billion-rand in the Steinhoff scandal. However, COSATU’s Matthew Parks criticised the National Prosecuting Authority for taking eight years to secure a conviction:

# SAPS Crime Intelligence head General Dumisani Khumalo says restoring public trust in the police requires the removal of corrupt officers and stronger, effective oversight. Addressing Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing corruption and political interference in the justice system, Khumalo acknowledged a state of paralysis within SAPS. He stressed the need for continuous, uniform cleansing of rogue elements and strengthened oversight to ensure integrity, clear direction and accountability across the service:

# ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has warned against neglecting war veterans and cautioned that it risks eroding South Africa’s democracy. Speaking at the uMkhonto weSizwe Liberation War Veterans Conference in Bloemfontein, Mashatile emphasised that veterans are architects of the future. He also called for improved healthcare, housing, and economic opportunities for veterans. Meanwhile, veterans’ convener Dan Hatto highlighted efforts to strengthen the ANC-SACP alliance despite the South African Communist Party’s independent 2026 local government election bid, and called for united leadership to address service delivery challenges.

# First National Bank has announced a donation of 3.7-million-rand to support communities severely affected by the flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The funds will be channelled through Gift of the Givers to assist vulnerable families and frontline personnel impacted by the disaster. The donation will enable the rapid deployment of relief, including blankets, mattresses, hot meals, hygiene packs, and baby care essentials for affected households. A portion of the funding is dedicated to supporting SANParks staff who have been directly impacted, while continuing efforts to keep national parks safe and operational during the crisis.

# President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to place tariffs on nations that do not go along with his ambitions to annex Greenland. The self-governing territory is controlled by Denmark. Trump did not say which countries might be hit with new tariffs, or what authority he would invoke to use tariffs in pursuit of his goal. Along with Denmark and Greenland, other countries oppose his ambitions, and many in the US have expressed scepticism about such an acquisition. Trump maintains that the sparsely populated but resource-rich territory is vital for US security.

# And tennis: The year’s first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, gets underway in Melbourne early tomorrow morning, South African time. On the first day, players to watch will be top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who faces local player Adam Walton, third-seeded German Alexander Zverev, Britain’s Cameron Norrie, and Italian Flavio Cobolli. Among the women, world number one Aryna Sabalenka will start the defense of her title against Tiantso Rajonah from France, and her compatriot Aliaksandra Sasnovich will face seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini from Italy.

Stay tuned for more news………….