News 11:00

BULLETIN 30 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa continues its downward trajectory on the Corruption Perceptions Index
# Sakeliga files a court application for contempt against the COGTA minister
# And, nearly 100 people have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year

# South Africa has dropped a further two points to 41 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, the country’s lowest score to date. The index scores 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption. South Africa is one of 23 countries that reached their lowest-ever scores this year, stumbling into the category of flawed democracies. Corruption Watch’s executive director, Karam Singh, says the fight for justice and the fight against corruption go hand in hand, as where the justice system is unable to uphold the rule of law, corruption thrives.

# Business organisation Sakeliga has filed a high court application to have the minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs declared guilty of contempt of court. This relates to a failure to disclose records, as per court order, of the sweeping Covid-19 lockdown decisions made behind closed doors in 2020. Sakeliga’s CEO, Piet le Roux, says if they succeed, the current minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, will have to disclose the records both she and her predecessor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, have so far kept from the public:

# ActionSA’s president, Herman Mashaba, together with Gauteng provincial chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni, will lead a picket in front of the Department of Home Affairs’ headquarters in Pretoria today. This is to hand over the party’s submission of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection. ActionSA’s Malaika Ditabo says the planned immigration legal reforms presented in the whitepaper will unlikely address South Africa’s immigration crisis unless coupled with vast institutional improvements:

# The International Organisation for Migration says there needs to be unified and sustainable mechanisms to stop further needless loss of human life on treacherous routes and to protect people on the move. Nearly 100 people have died or disappeared in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean since the beginning of this year. The organisation’s director-general, Amy Pope, says the latest record of deaths and disappearances is a stark reminder that a comprehensive approach that includes safe and regular pathways is the only solution that will benefit migrants and states alike.

# Rugby: Fly-half Marcus Smith is a major doubt for England’s opening Six Nations match against Italy on Saturday. This is after he limped out of yesterday’s training session and was later seen using crutches. Smith’s injury means Steve Borthwick’s side may be left with just two fly-halves – George Ford and the uncapped Fin Smith. England are already without the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Ollie Lawrence, and Anthony Watson, due to injury. Attack coach, Richard Wigglesworth, says if Smith is not fit it will be a blow for the team.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-82-cents and the euro at 20-rand-36-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 43-thousand-353-dollars-74-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-34-dollars-and-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-97-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….