Morning Newspaper Report
The headlines of the leading newspapers on 22 January 2024:
NATIONAL:
# Business Day:
Writes the rating agency Fitch has taken note of the South African government’s bailout of 50-billion-rand to Transnet over the next two financial years. This will cause public debt to rise more than projections, but the agency has indicated that it will not adjust the country’s rating of BB-minus any time soon.
GAUTENG:
# Beeld:
Leads with the victory of Dricus du Plessis over Sean Strickland and capture of the middleweight United Fighting Championship title. Congratulations are pouring in from everywhere.
And secondly, the paper reports various opposition parties have warned president Cyril Ramaphosa and deputy president Paul Mashatile not to misuse Air Force flights for ANC operations.
# The Star and Pretoria News:
Writes the bigwigs of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal say former president Jacob Zuma does not pose a danger.
And reports Johannesburg is not a shadow of the city it used to be.
# Sowetan:
Reports the Johannesburg CBD is a fire hazard with numerous buildings that do not comply with fire regulations.
# And The Citizen:
Writes the residents of Birchleigh in Kempton Park have many questions about a school in the area that was set up overnight in Wendy Houses without any toilet facilities. However, the Gauteng government says the school is legal.
FREE STATE:
# Volksblad in Bloemfontein:
Also leads with Dricus’ victory.
Then it is reported three children drowned in two separate incidents at the weekend in Bloemfontein and Steinkopf in the Northern Cape.
And finally, the paper writes the Free State not only recorded the highest matric pass rate, but most of the learners who received 100-percent for subjects also came from the province.
WESTERN CAPE:
# Die Burger:
Firstly reports, the Villagers Newton Rugby Club in Paarl’s Player of the Year, 22-year-old Trevino Maarman drowned in the Berg River.
Then the paper also writes about Dricus.
And finally, it is reported two under-15 cricketers from the Parel Vallei Hoërskool in Somerset West, Luke Engelbrecht and Jonathan Roos, rewrote the record books when they achieved a partnership of 406 runs.
# And Cape Times:
Writes the minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala, who comes from KwaZulu-Natal, says the ANC is not afraid of Zuma’s new party.
And secondly, the paper also reports on Dricus du Plessis who fought his way to the world title with his fists.
EASTERN CAPE:
# The Herald in Gqeberha:
Reports a former mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Nqaba Bhanga joined the protests against Israel. He took a Palestinian flag and a poster to the streets and shopping centres.
And secondly, the paper writes more than half a million people visited Nelson Mandela Bay in December and spent more than 500-million-rand. According to a municipal report, this is much better than 2022.
KWAZULU-NATAL:
# Daily News in Durban:
Writes a nurse and her cousin who are charged with the murder of her husband are expected to learn their fate in the local High Court today.
And finally from NAMIBIA:
# Republikein in Windhoek:
Reports as ships destined for Asian markets increasingly choose the Cape of Good Hope route to avoid the conflict in the Red Sea, they prefer to call at Walvis Bay rather than Cape Town.
And secondly, the paper writes mining licenses for uranium have been issued for an area covering 3.3-million hectares at Stampriet. According to experts, this poses a danger to drinking water.