News 08:00

BULLETIN 26 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Saftu is not surprised by the unchanged repo rate
# Gauteng’s MEC for Education condemns political parties campaigning during school hours
# And, Donald Trump takes the stand in the E Jean Carroll defamation trial

# The South African Federation of Trade Unions is not surprised by the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s decision to leave the repo rate unchanged at 8.25-percent. This is the fourth hold since May last year. Saftu’s spokesperson, Trevor Shaku, says it was clear that the committee was going to leave the repo rate unchanged, precisely because they operate by incentivising those who trade in money to hold onto Rands, to avoid dumping and devaluation of the currency:

# ANC MP Dipuo Peters has urgently applied to the Western Cape High Court to overturn her suspension from Parliament. The suspension is linked to state capture allegations during her tenure as minister of Transport. The hearing gets underway today, while Peters plans to challenge the implementation of sanctions on Tuesday. She seeks a court review of Parliament’s decisions, asserting the sanctions hinder her political capacity and prospects.

# Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has condemned political parties from entering public schools during school hours. This follows a campaign trail by a political party, which the department did not name, at some schools in Eldorado Park yesterday while learning and teaching was taking place. The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says the MEC has emphasised that education environments must remain apolitical to ensure a focused and unbiased learning atmosphere:

# Former US president Donald Trump took the witness stand in E Jean Carroll’s second defamation trial against him, denying the allegations against him. Last year he was found liable for sexually assaulting the magazine columnist in the 1990s. Trump took the stand for what was ultimately less than five minutes, as Judge Lewis Kaplan restricted questions the former president could be asking since he had already been found liable. Trump also denied ever instructing anyone to hurt Carroll. The defamation trial will resume today with closing arguments.

# Golf: Willie Olivier and Oliver Bekker share a one-shot lead following the opening round of the Mediclinic Invitational at the Maccauvlei Golf Club in Vereeniging, Gauteng. The duo opened with rounds of seven-under-par 65. Twenty-five-year-old Olivier, who is looking to make his mark on the Sunshine Tour, was happy with his opening round:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-85-cents and the euro at 20-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-97-cents and Bitcoin trades at 40-thousand-102-dollars-45-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-22-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….