News 08:00

BULLETIN 3 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Parliament’s ad hoc committee is going to submit written questions to president Ramaphosa
# Correctional facilities are under severe strain as inmate numbers top 170-thousand
# And rugby: South Africa will launch its World Cup campaign against Italy in Adelaide

# Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee has resolved to send written questions to president Cyril Ramaphosa, as part of its ongoing inquiry into allegations of political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system. This follows testimony that implicated the president in key decisions under scrutiny, including the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team. Committee chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, says Ramaphosa making a written submission will come with conditions:

# National Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale says South Africa’s inmate population exceeded 170-thousand in 2025, placing intense pressure on prisons nationwide. Thobakgale says offender numbers continue to rise weekly, with many facilities operating at over 150-percent capacity. While the surge reflects effective policing and prosecutions, the commissioner warns that overcrowding is affecting safety and security, with no centre managing congestion below 50-percent:

# AfriForum is calling on the national and provincial authorities to fully disclose the training and selection processes that were followed, to adjust the status of the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens to peace officers. More than nine-thousand wardens were declared peace officers last Friday. AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk says the declaration follows a Public Protector report in October last year that found the establishment of the wardens unlawful:

# Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee inquiry into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This comes days before the House of Representatives was expected to vote to hold both Clintons in criminal contempt over their resistance to legal summonses. The Justice Department’s latest release of the Epstein files has revealed never-before-seen photos of Bill Clinton and Epstein together and frequent communications between jailed associate of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Clinton staffers between 2001 and 2004.

# Rugby: Reigning champions South Africa will begin their bid for a historic third consecutive World Cup title against Italy in Adelaide on October 3rd 2027, before meeting Georgia the following week and then Romania seven days later. Hosts Australia will open the tournament against debutants Hong Kong in Perth on October 1st. Zimbabwe will return to the competition for the first time since 1991, and face Wales in their opener on October 2nd in Adelaide. Three-time winners New Zealand will kick off their campaign against Chile in Perth on October 2nd.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-2-cents and the euro at 18-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-90-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-822-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-762-dollars-41-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….