News 08:00

BULLETIN 16 February 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the coming months will decide South Sudan’s future
# Amnesty International South Africa says the Madlanga Commission must lead to prosecutions
# And, the ANC in Gauteng says it is not pushing the EFF out of its governance responsibilities

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the choices made in the coming months will determine whether South Sudan moves towards durable peace or back into cycles of instability. He addressed the African Union Ad-hoc High Level Committee for South Sudan C5 Plus Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday. South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, goes to the polls in December. Ramaphosa says the African Union is unified in its action to move the country towards a path of peace and stability:

# Amnesty International South Africa says the testimonies emerging from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry are concerning and add to the already eroded trust in law enforcement. The commission is investigating allegations of corruption, political interference, and the infiltration of criminal syndicates into the criminal justice system. Amnesty International says the allegations raise serious concerns about the state’s ability to protect people and uphold the rule of law. It adds that the commission must lead to necessary prosecutions and meaningful reform, rather than further delays and continued corruption and misconduct.

# The ANC in Gauteng says it is continuing to engage with the EFF as part of its coalition agreement. This comes after EFF leader Julius Malema warned that his party may withdraw from its partnership with the ANC in Gauteng metros, claiming the party is being exploited. The two parties have been running Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni through coalition arrangements. ANC provincial coordinator, Hope Papo, says they are not pushing the EFF out of their governance responsibilities:

# The American Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday began a two-day trip to bolster ties with Slovakia and Hungary, whose conservative leaders have warm ties with President Donald Trump. Rubio will use the trip to discuss energy cooperation and bilateral issues, including NATO commitments with the two countries, which are often at odds with other European Union countries. Rubio also serves as Trump’s national security adviser and met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Sunday. He is expected to meet the Hungarian leader Viktor Orban today.

# Golf: South Africa’s MJ Daffue won the NTT Data Pro-Am at the Fancourt Golf Estate in George, Western Cape. He signed for a three-under-par 69 to reach 16-under-par for the week and finish four shots clear of a four-way tie for second. South African Bryce Easton, Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent, American Hunter Logan and Irishman Max Kennedy all shared second place on 12 under par. Daffue says he had to be patient, and it paid off in the end:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-92-cents and the euro at 18-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-72-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-370-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-996-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-29-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….