News 18:00

BULLETIN 20 January 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Robert McBride withholds his employment details before the ad hoc committee
# The National E-hailing Federation is calling on government to close regulatory gaps in the scholar transport sector
# And, Cape Winelands warns of the ongoing fire danger and difficult terrain in Franschhoek

# The former executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Robert McBride, has declined to disclose his current place of employment during his appearance before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating alleged interference in criminal cases. He cites intelligence legislation. Members questioned McBride’s failure to update his CV and raised concerns about non-disclosure. Committee member Sibonelo Nomvalo criticised the submission of an outdated resume, saying it misled Parliament:

# The National E-hailing Federation of South Africa is calling on the government to urgently close regulatory gaps in the scholar transport sector and strengthen oversight. This follows yesterday’s accident in Vanderbijlpark that claimed the lives of 12 learners. The federation’s spokesperson, Tella Masakale, says this is not just an accident; it is a painful consequence of long-standing failures in regulation, enforcement, and accountability within the private and scholar transport sector:

Meanwhile NotInMyName International is demanding immediate regulatory overhaul of scholar transport in the country. The vehicle was carrying 18 people despite being certified for just 14. NotInMyName International’s secretary general, Themba Masango, says this was not merely an accident; it was a systemic failure:

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services says fires continue to burn in the Franschhoek area, with strong south-easterly winds of up to 50 kilometres per hour making firefighting difficult. Earlier today, fires in Ida’s Valley and Pniel were quickly contained. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says ground teams are working where the terrain allows, while aerial support is limited:

# Soccer: Hosts and losing finalists Morocco referred champions Senegal to the African and world governing bodies over its players and supporters’ conduct during Sunday’s final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat. Some players walked off the field over a controversial penalty being awarded to Morocco, and only returned 20-minutes later to eventually win the match. Some of Senegal’s supporters threw objects around. Morocco says the events had a significant impact on the final.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-44-cents and the euro at 19-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-and-31-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-739-dollars-41-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….