News 06:00

BULLETIN 24 January 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# No major filling stations are listed among those that allegedly sell contaminated fuel
# Minister Blade Nzimande calls for unpaid NSFAS students to be allowed to register
# And, Oppenheimer leads the Oscar nominations with 13 followed by Poor Things

# The Department of Mineral Resources has clarified that none of the well-known filling stations are listed among those that allegedly sell contaminated fuel. The department revealed recently that 70 fuel stations in the country are under investigation for selling diesel mixed with paraffin, with over one-thousand-and-70 samples tested. It also emerged that some of the filling stations are operating without licence. Speaking to SABC News, the department’s spokesperson, Robert Maake, warned motorists to be vigilant:

# Higher Education, Science, and Innovation minister, Blade Nzimande, has called on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to finalise outstanding payments from last year. He further urged institutions not to deny affected students the opportunity to register for the 2024 academic year. Nzimande briefed the media and called on NSFAS to facilitate a much more seamless process to avoid such challenges in future:

# Newly elected Tshwane deputy mayor Nasiphi Moya says she will cooperate with any investigation into her alleged financial misconduct. During her tenure as chief of staff in the Tshwane mayor’s office in 2020, Moya received a ten-thousand-rand allowance for a work trip to Saudi Arabia. However, she ended up not going and failed to return the money. She says she forgot to return the money however there was no ill intent but a lapse of judgment on her part. The council has delegated the city manager to investigate this matter.

# City of Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has proposed the suspension of the director of urban waste management, Luzuko Mdunyelwa, to the council. This comes amid allegations of bribery in the city’s administration and waste collection challenges. The council addressed concerns about the expenditure of approximately 500-million-rand on township waste clearance to contractors from July 2021 to June 2023, recording 18-thousand-902 complaints. Meanwhile, extortion in communities has prompted contractor withdrawals due to safety concerns. Hill-Lewis acknowledges the need for improved value from waste management spending.

# Rugby: Springboks Deon Fourie, Damian Willemse, and Manie Libbok won’t be available for the Stormers when they play the Sharks in a United Rugby Championship match in Durban on the 17th of next month. The Cape Town team has a three-week break before resuming their URC campaign after qualifying for the round of 16 of the Champions Cup. They face defending champions La Rochelle in Cape Town in April. The international players will be on a compulsory rest for five weeks, including three weeks away from the game and two weeks of training.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-3-cents and the euro at 20-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 39-thousand-938-dollars-36-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-28-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Christopher Nolan’s atomic biopic Oppenheimer has earned 13 Academy Awards nominations including best picture and best actor in a leading role for Cillian Murphy. The fantasy film Poor Things has received eleven nominations, and ten for Martin Scorsese’s drama Killers of the Flower Moon. Barbie earned eight nominations. Lily Gladstone, nominated for best actress in a leading role for Killers of the Flower Moon, is the first-ever Native American actress to be up for this award. The Oscars will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on the tenth of March.

Stay tuned for more news………….