NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 7 February 4 pm

Good afternoon,

In this bulletin:

# Security services and the executive are blamed for the poor response to last year’s unrest
# The Eastern Cape DA calls for two provincial departments to be put under administration
# And Cricket: Province beats Boland’s Rocks in the first local T20 match

# The response by security services was not timeous, appropriate or sufficient during the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in July last year. This is according to the panel of experts president Cyril Ramaphosa appointed to investigate the reasons behind the unrest. The report says security services failed to do what was necessary to protect life and property. The executive, however, also carries some of the blame and must take responsibility for its lapse of leadership. Dysfunctional relationships between ministers and their senior leadership teams in some cases impeded synergy in the flow of intelligence which affected decision-making.

# The DA in the Eastern Cape has called for the provincial Departments of Health and of Education to be put under administration. Provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga said during a media briefing there is poor leadership in both departments which has led to their wage bills bleeding the provincial budget dry. He says there is also a lack of action in the provincial government’s reaction on reports of maladministration with medical staff protesting and no school books being available:

Play sound: ENG DAOnWageBill

# The Educators Union of South Africa is considering taking legal action against the Department of Basic Education over poor infrastructure in several schools. The union is demanding that the department prioritises the upgrading of infrastructure as it has been promising over the past years. The union’s spokesperson, Kabelo Mahlobogwane, says as children return to full-time learning, they are concerned that overcrowded classrooms might increase Covid-19 infections.

# Bitou mayor David Swart has instructed that the qualifications of the Southern Cape authority’s acting municipal manager be investigated. This comes after the leader of the Ikhwezi political movement in the town, Nokuzola Kolwapi, opened a fraud case against Ntho Maredi, accusing him of falsifying his qualifications. Kolwapi says the vetting process showed that Maredi did not have a national diploma in cost and management accounting. Kolwapi has given Swart seven days to complete the investigation. Maredi is acting after former acting municipal manager Richard Bosman left office after 55-days.

# Cricket: Western Province got off to a winning start when the local T20 Challenge kicked off in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape today. The Cape Town team beat their Boland neighbours, the Rocks, by six wickets at St George’s Park. The Rocks were limited to 142 for six, Christiaan Jonker top-scoring with 46. Beuran Hendricks and George Linde both took two wickets. Province surpassed the target within 17 overs with just four wickets down thanks to Richard Levi’s 67. Today’s other encounter at the same field is between the Titans and the Warriors.

# Financial indicators: The dollar is trading at 15-rand-45-cents and the euro at 17-rand-70-cents. One British pound costs 20-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 42-thousand-733-dollars-7-cents. Gold is selling at one thousand-814-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

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