News 08:00

BULLETIN 5 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The FF Plus warns that draconian labour laws are harming the economy
# Minister Mantashe says illegal mining is costing the economy billions in lost revenue
# And, the man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump is sentenced to life in prison

# The Freedom Front Plus says the government’s minimum wage policy exposes deep inequalities, with Expanded Public Works Programme workers earning almost half of what private sector employees receive. The party warns that the recent increase from 28-rand-79-cents to 30-rand-23-cents per hour could lead to job losses, particularly for vulnerable groups like domestic workers, farmworkers, and gardeners. The FF Plus’s Heloïse Denner argues that rigid labour laws and over-regulation harm the economy:

# Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, has warned that illegal mining is one of the most pressing challenges facing South Africa’s mining sector. It is estimated that illegal mining costs the industry 20-billion-rand a year. Mantashe says government has adopted a strategy including accelerating the rehabilitation of derelict and ownerless mines and implementing Operation Vala uMgodi to clamp down on illegal mining activities. He adds that where illegal mining was once largely confined to derelict and ownerless mines, it is now increasingly encroaching on operational and licensed mines.

# The families of the three mine workers who were trapped underground when the Lily Mine collapsed in 2016 have lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyirenda, and Yvonne Mnisi were in a container office when the mine caved in. The family’s spokesperson, Harry Mazibuko, says the National Prosecuting Authority and the Mineral Resources and Energy Department have failed to take proper action, following the outcome of an inquiry conducted a few years ago:

# Ryan Routh has been sentenced to life in prison plus seven years following his 2024 assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida. The 59-year-old hid in the bushes of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a semi-automatic rifle while Trump was playing golf. He was spotted by Secret Service agents, who fired several shots at him, and he was later arrested. Routh was convicted of five charges, including attempted assassination. His lawyer, Martin Roth, says they will appeal:

# Soccer: Stellenbosch FC knocked out holders Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 at the Cape Town Stadium, to progress to the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup. Ibraheem Jabaar opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Devin Titus doubled Stellenbosch’s advantage, only for Chiefs’ Flavio da Silva to pull one back, but it wasn’t enough to keep Amakhosi alive in the tournament.  In Pretoria, Mamelodi Sundowns edge past Gomora United 2-1. The winner of the Nedbank Cup is set to receive seven-million-rand, while the runner‑up will take 2.5-million-rand. 

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-99-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-444-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-875-dollars a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-83-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….