News 17:00

BULLETIN 27 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Lesetja Senona admits forwarding Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala the disbandment letter for the Political Killing Task Team
# The ex-FIFA boss Sepp Blatter suggests fans should not travel to the US for the Soccer World Cup
# And, Japan bids farewell to the country’s last giant pandas

# The head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, Lesetja Senona, told the Madlanga Commission he forwarded a letter on the disbandment of the Political Killing Task Team to businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala on his own accord. Senona said the letter was circulating on social media and shared as a matter of public interest, not knowing Matlala had any specific interest. He denied discussing SAPS matters with Matlala, describing their interactions as purely social:

# The Gauteng Department of Education has rejected claims it cut Quintile 5 school funding by 64-percent calling them false and misleading. MEC Matome Chiloane said adjustments reflect national budget constraints, not provincial cuts, and are temporary realignments to ensure compliance with funding norms. The department’s spokesperson Steve Mabona says despite a 444-million-rand shortfall this year, teaching, learning, and learner teacher support material payments continue uninterrupted. He urged focus on funding solutions:

# The EFF Youth Command has condemned the selling of spaces to students in the country’s higher education sector. Spokesperson Phumelele Mshumi says universities have warned first-year students to be wary of fraudulent messages from third parties posing as institutional representatives and asking for payment during the registration period. He says these scammers offer to help with acquiring financial assistance, student accommodation, registration and places in academic programmes:

# Soccer: Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is in favour of of fans boycotting World Cup matches in America this year due to security concerns. He supports comments from anti-corruption lawyer Mark Pieth, who worked with FIFA on potential reforms earlier. Pieth cites the killing of protester Renee Good by an American immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier this month as one reason for supporters not to travel to the US. Blatter says on social media he thought Pieth was right in his summation of the situation.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-2-cents and the euro at 19-rand-10-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-714-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-86-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Hundreds of Japanese panda lovers bid an emotional farewell to the country’s last two giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, as they left Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for China. Spectators braved the cold to see the star attractions leave for Narita Airport. The four-year-olds’ departure for a breeding facility in China leaves Japan with no giant pandas for the first time in over five decades. Although planned for a while, their departure has been viewed as a reflection of deteriorating relations between the two countries in recent months.

Stay tuned for more news………….