News 06:00

BULLETIN 15 January 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Khomotso Phahlane says he was the guinea pig for the step-aside policy
# The Free Market Foundation says race laws are holding South Africa back
# And, the US withdraws personnel from regional bases in the Middle East

# Former acting National Police Commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, told Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee that he was the guinea pig for the step-aside policy because it was applied only to him. He was appointed acting national police commissioner in October 2015 by former president Jacob Zuma, following the suspension of Riah Phiyega. Nearly two years later, he was asked to step aside by then-Police minister Fikile Mbalula. Phahlane described his removal as unlawful and irrational:

# The DA welcomes Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen’s action to fight foot and mouth disease. The party supports Steenhuisen’s call for a national state of disaster to get more resources and better control animal movements. The goal is to cut infections by 70-percent in high-risk provinces within a year. The DA’s Beyers Smit says mass vaccinations are underway in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, and North West, with millions of doses imported from Botswana, Argentina, and Turkey: 

# The Free Market Foundation says South Africa does not need more race laws; it needs the freedom for individuals and businesses to shape their own futures. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently stated that South Africa has more than 140 laws that discriminate against non-Black citizens, claiming that his company, Starlink, cannot operate in the country because he is not Black. FMF says no society can move forward while expanding racial classification and state control. It adds that such laws distort incentives, scare off investment, and fuel corruption.

# The Gauteng Department of Education says parental errors are a major cause of the ongoing school placement backlog affecting about three-thousand grade one and eight learners. The department’s Steve Mabona told SABC News that late applications, choosing unaffordable schools, applying outside residential districts, and frequent school transfers have contributed to the problem. Mabona added that the department is working closely with schools to increase capacity, aiming to finalise grade one placements by the end of the week:

# The United States is reportedly withdrawing some personnel from key bases in the Middle East as a precaution amidst heightened regional tensions. This follows after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington should strike. Iran’s leadership is trying to put down the worst domestic unrest the Islamic Republic has ever faced. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have been reported killed in a crackdown on the protests against clerical rule.

# Rugby: Springbok lock Jean Kleyn will join Gloucester in England at the end of the season. He announced his departure from Irish club Munster after ten years. Kleyn joined Munster in 2016 and played for Ireland in the 2019 World Cup before Bok coach Rassie Erasmus lured him back to South Africa. He then played for the Boks in the 2023 World Cup. Gloucester’s director of rugby, George Skivington, says he admired Klein for a long time for his edge, experience and winning mentality.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-38-cents and the euro at 19-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-65-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-625-dollars-54-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-7-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….