News 08:00

BULLETIN 30 January 8 am 

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the suspension of Jacob Zuma from the ANC is unfortunate
# Satawu wants the Transnet National Ports Authority CEO suspended
# And cricket, the Joburg Super Kings beat MI Cape Town to keep their playoff hopes alive 

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the suspension of former president Jacob Zuma from the party, is an unfortunate action that the National Executive Committee had to take. His suspension comes more than a month after he announced his support for the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe party. The NEC invoked Rule 25.60 of the party’s constitution to suspend Zuma. Ramaphosa told Newzroom Afrika that the ANC has a lot of lessons to learn from this situation:

# The South African Trade and Allied Workers Union is calling for the suspension of Transnet National Ports Authority CEO, Pepi Silinga, amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against him. He has been accused of irregularly appointing his former employer, the Coega Development Corporation, to build fences around the ports of Durban, Richards Bay and Saldanha Bay. The costs have reportedly escalated from around 80-million-rand to about 300-million-rand. Silinga has taken a leave of absence as the allegations are being investigated. Satawu says Silinga must be held accountable.

# The DA in Johannesburg says it is shocked and appalled at the assassin-style shooting incident at a Rand Water donation event in Zakariyya Park yesterday. Johannesburg council chief whip Sithembiso Zungu was wounded, and two other people were killed when several suspects entered the hall, where the event was taking place, and opened fire before fleeing. The DA’s, Michael Sun, says the horrifying manner in which the shooting took place is cause for alarm:

# Japan and Austria have joined the likes of the US, Germany, UK and Italy in temporarily pausing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza. This is after allegations that 12 staff members of the agency were involved in the seventh of October attack by Hamas in Israel, which left about one-thousand-300 people dead. More than 26-thousand people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a military operation in response. Both Japan and Austria are calling for a comprehensive, swift and complete investigation into the allegations.

# Cricket: Captain Faf du Plessis led the Joburg Super Kings to a bonus point ten-wicket win via the Duckworth Lewis Stern method against MI Cape Town in their SA 20 match at Newlands. The match was reduced to eight overs per side due to rain. MI Cape Town posted 80 for three in their eight overs. In reply, an undefeated 50 from Du Plessis and Leus du Plooy’s 41 not out saw the Super Kings reach the target in just 5.4 overs. Du Plooy says they are happy to still be in the race for the playoffs:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-80-cents and the euro at 20-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 43-thousand-513-dollars-34-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-32-dollars-9-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….