News 09:00

BULLETIN 7 February 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Steenhuisen says Botswana will supply of 700-thousand doses of vaccine by the end of the month
# The US is aiming for a Ukrainian peace deal in March
# And cricket: Totals of over 300 are expected in a T20 World Cup for the first time

# Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen says the Botswana Vaccine Institute has confirmed the supply of 700-thousand doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine by the end of this month. Steenhuisen visited the Agricultural Research Council Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility to witness the finalisation of the first batch of locally produced FMD vaccines. He says through the Botswana Vaccine Institute, South Africa has already acquired, monitored, and administered two million vaccines to date. The minister says South Africa will receive monthly supplies of 700-thousand doses in April, May, and June.

# Ahead of the State of the Nation Address next Thursday, the National Planning Commission is calling on president Cyril Ramaphosa to reassert the centrality of the National Development Plan: Vision 2030. The commission spokesperson, Sandisiwe Mapine, says the 2026 SONA presents the perfect opportunity for the President to affirm the importance of long-term planning to improve the lives of all South Africans, even in these times of coalition governance:

# The High Court in Johannesburg has postponed the pre-trial hearing of businessman Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala and his co-accused to next Thursday. The dates in the Matlala attempted murder case are set to be discussed next week. Matlala and his five co-accused, including his wife Tsakani Matlala, face charges linked to an alleged hit on his ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane. During proceedings, Matlala’s lawyer raised concerns over access to documents and private consultations, stating that bail on new facts is imminent.

# The Standing Committee on Public Accounts says it plans to approve the final Road Accident Fund report framework next week. Chairperson Songezo Zibi confirmed that it is still being compiled, with draft deliberations expected by month-end. Speaking to SABC News, Zibi confirmed full cooperation from the Transport Ministry and the RAF board. He urged urgent reform before the report is tabled in Parliament, as the fund is insolvent:

#  U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious March goal for Russia and Ukraine to agree on a peace deal. Reuters quotes three sources familiar with the matter that the timeline is likely to slip, given a lack of agreement on the key issue of territory. Under the framework being discussed by U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, any deal would be submitted to a referendum by Ukrainian voters, who would simultaneously vote in national elections.

# And cricket: India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and his English counterpart, Harry Brook, believe totals in excess of 300 runs are possible in a T20 World Cup for the first time. The tournament gets going in India and Sri Lanka today. Yadav and Brook attribute the huge totals to smaller grounds, quick outfields, and increasingly fearless batting. The 300-barrier had been breached three times in T20 internationals, but the highest total in a World Cup in the format was Sri Lanka’s 260 for six against Kenya in 2007.

Stay tuned for more news………….