News 07:00

BULLETIN 9 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the successes of the Communications and Digital Technologies Department are expected in SONA 2026
# Ukraine denies any involvement in the shooting of a high-profile Russian military figure
# And tennis: South Africa beat Montenegro in a Davis Cup tie

# The DA expects president Cyril Ramaphosa State of the Nation Address on Thursday to reflect the work undertaken by Communications and Digital Technologies minister Solly Malatsi in turning the Department around. The party says this includes efforts to improve spectrum use and expand access to affordable digital services. The DA’s Tsholofelo Bodlani says they strongly believe the digital technologies sector to be central in creating jobs and lifting South Africans out of poverty:

# Parliament’s Communications and Digital Technologies Portfolio Committee demands an urgent meeting with Finance minster Enoch Godongwana to clarify an outstanding 3.8-billion-rand to rescue the South African Post Office. This after SAPO business practitioners have indicated that the lack of funding jeopardises the business rescue plan of SOPA. The committee chairperson, Khusela Diko, says they want the Finance Minister to clarify the situation at a meeting that will be scheduled soon.

# Gauteng Transport MEC, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, says they are willing to work with scholar transport operators who genuinely want to regularise their operations. She addressed scholar transporters at an engagement and awareness meeting at the Johannesburg City Hall on Sunday. Safety of scholar transport has come under scrutiny following the death of 14 learners in Vanderbijlpark. Diale-Tlabela says her department has arranged special rates at testing stations to reduce compliance costs for scholar transport providers:

# A Correctional Services official is set to appear in the Makhanda Magistrates’ Court in the Eastern Cape today. Hawks spokesperson Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana says a 47-year-old serving Correctional Services official was arrested following a meticulous intelligence-driven investigation for alleged conspiracy to commit murder against senior officials within the Department of Correctional Services. He says the intended targets were identified as the Head of Centre at Waainek Correctional Centre, and the Unit Manager at the same facility:

# Ukrainian Foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, says Kyiv had nothing to do with the shooting of top Russian military intelligence officer Vladimir Alexeyev. The 64-year-old was shot several times in a residential block of flats in the north-western outskirts of Moscow on Friday. Russia has identified and detained a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen, Lyubomir Korba, as the man who is allegedly behind the assassination attempt. He was detained in Dubai and handed over to the authorities in Moscow. Sybiha has suggested that Alexeyev’s shooting was the result of Russian infighting.

# Tennis: South Africa secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Montenegro in Centurion to win the Davis Cup World Group Two playoff tie. Entering the second day of the tie on Sunday at 1-1, the visitors took the lead by winning the doubles match. The homeside levelled the tie through Philip Henning, who defeated Petar Jovanović, 6–3, 6–2. Alec Beckley then claimed a 7-6, 6-3 victory against Aleksa Krivokapić to seal the tie. The victory means South Africa will retain their place in the World Group Two for the ties in September.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cents and the euro at 18-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-213-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-5-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….