News 08:00

BULLETIN 2 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The police clarify the seizure of the head of the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks’ state property
# Malema calls for major electoral reforms to strengthen the country’s democracy
# And, new legislation could stop small parties from running metros

# KwaZulu-Natal police have defended the seizure of provincial Hawks head Lesetja Senona’s state property, citing security concerns. He alleged that he was kicked out of his office in Durban on Saturday, and his gadgets were seized. Last week, Senona was among five police officers fingered in the Madlanga commission’s preliminary report. Police spokesperson, Robert Netshiunda, says Senona’s actions on Saturday raised security concerns:

# EFF leader Julius Malema says the current electoral system is financially unsustainable and distracts political parties from service delivery. Giving the closing remarks at the EFF’s second plenum in Boksburg, Gauteng, on Sunday, he also called for all young people to be automatically registered to vote once they turn 18. Malema says frequent elections and by-elections have placed an excessive financial burden on political parties, forcing them to prioritise campaigning over governance:

# Government plans to introduce an electoral threshold that could bar small parties from securing seats in city councils. According to City Press, this could potentially prevent them from playing kingmaker or leading metropolitan municipalities after this year’s municipal elections. The proposed changes aim to stabilise local government by limiting the influence of tiny parties with minimal voter support. Critics argue the move could exclude smaller voices, while supporters say it will reduce fragmented councils and improve governance.

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a Russian drone attack on a bus carrying mine workers in the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. The drone strike on the bus carrying workers after a shift killed 12 miners, and at least 15 were injured. A drone also struck a maternity hospital in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, wounding at least seven people. Zelensky says over the past week, Russia has used more than 980 attack drones, nearly one-thousand-100 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles against Ukraine, despite ongoing peace negotiations.

# Golf: South Africa’s MJ Viljoen claimed a dramatic playoff victory in the SDC Open at the Zebula Golf Estate and Spa in Limpopo. The 30-year-old birdied the 72nd hole to force a play-off with countryman Deon Germishuys, who had set the clubhouse lead, before birdieing the first extra hole to win his fourth Sunshine Tour title. South Africa’s Jean Hugo and Frenchman Maxence Giboudot shared third place on 14 under. Viljoen says he is delighted he managed to get over the line:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-17-cents and the euro at 19-rand-20-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-13-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-263-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-719-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-32-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….