News 13:00

BULLETIN 23 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Malema’s pre-sentencing hearing is temporarily adjourned over court space
# The death toll in the Eastern Cape school shooting rises to three
# And rugby: Baltimore is to host the final Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks

# The pre-sentencing hearing of EFF leader Julius Malema has been temporarily adjourned at the East London Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape due to limited space. The matter is set to continue at a High Court venue. Supporters gathered in large numbers outside court, prompting police to barricade entrances. Malema’s legal team, lead by top advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, is preparing to appeal his guilty conviction on multiple firearm-related charges linked to an incident at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in 2018.

Staying in the Eastern Cape:

# The provincial Education Department has confirmed another teacher has died following a shooting at Ntabankulu Junior Secondary School, bringing the death toll to three, including the alleged perpetrator. Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana says the former teacher, out on bail for sexual assault charges, forced entry onto the school premises and shot three female teachers before taking his own life. One teacher died at the scene and another in hospital, while a third remains critically injured. The department confirms that classes will resume on Monday.

# The Tshwane Metro Police Department’s Public Transport Unit impounded 20 minibuses for being unroadworthy, and for drivers operating without the necessary licenses. The learner transport operations were carried out in Olivenhoutbosch and Montana. Spokesperson Puleng Motholo says the main objectives of these operations were to identify and eliminate vehicles and drivers who transport school children without the required licenses, and who operate vehicles that are not roadworthy:

# Western Cape premier Alan Winde has urged residents to remain vigilant as the province battles severe wildfires and ongoing water shortages. According to Winde, the 2025/26 fire season is the worst in a decade, with 132-thousand hectares burned and multiple structures destroyed, though no human lives have been lost. He says over 19-million-rand has been spent on firefighting operations, with more than two-thousand-600 personnel deployed:

# Rugby: South Africa and New Zealand will play the final Test of their Greatest Rivalry series at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in the US in September. Two of the first three Tests will take place in Johannesburg, and the other in Cape Town. The Springboks last played in the US in 2018, against Wales in Washington, while the All Blacks played Ireland in Chicago last year. SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer says taking the Boks to new audiences and territories is one of their key objectives.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-14-cents and the euro at 18-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-79-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-972-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-912-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….