News 14:00

BULLETIN 6 February 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Government declares a national disaster in the three Cape provinces
# A senior Russian general is shot and rushed to hospital in Moscow
# And rugby: Duhan van der Merwe will miss Scotland’s Six Nations opener against Italy

# The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs declared the drought in the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape a national disaster. Head of the National Disaster Management Centre Elias Sithole says the move allows access to funds for relief efforts. He says priorities include providing safe drinking water, enforcing stricter water restrictions, and supporting agriculture. He adds the provinces remain on high alert as officials urge coordinated action.

# The Madlanga commission has postponed ANC-linked businessman Suleiman Carrim’s testimony to 9 and 10 March. He was due to testify today after the High Court in Pretoria dismissed his bid to block a subpoena, criticising his delayed application. He has been implicated in alleged kickbacks linked to a 360-million-rand police tender. Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga ordered Carrim’s legal team to submit a statement by early next month:

# The DA urges minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau to work with cabinet colleagues to rebuild trade relations with the USA following the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunities Act. It was backdated to September. The party’s Toby Chance says South Africa still faces high tariffs and discriminatory laws, calling for urgent black economic empowerment reforms, expansion into African markets, and the appointment of overseas economic representatives:

# A senior Russian military officer, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was rushed to hospital after being shot in Moscow. This is the latest incident in a series of attacks on top military officials. Alexeyev is deputy head of military intelligence. His manager, Igor Kostyukov, has been leading Russia’s delegation in negotiations with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on security-related aspects of a potential peace deal. The Moscow prosecutor’s office says Alexeyev had been shot several times at a residential building by an unknown assailant who fled the scene.

# Rugby: One of Scotland’s top try-scorers of all time, South African-born Duhan van der Merwe, had been left out of the squad for tomorrow’s Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome. British and Irish Lions fullback Blair Kinghorn was also not considered, while another prolific points machine, Darcy Graham, was picked on the bench. Coach Gregor Townsend replaced the back three with Tom Jordan, Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie, who gets his first start in the competition. Kick-off at Stadio Olimpico is at ten-past-four tomorrow afternoon.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-15-cents and the euro at 19-rand-5-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-967-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-863-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….