News 07:00

BULLETIN 31 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An urgent court bid to halt the Western Cape teaching post cuts is struck off the roll
# The Border Management Authority confirms operations at the Lebombo Port of entry are back to normal
# And rugby, John Dobson is worried that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s slew of injuries will dent his confidence

# An urgent court application to prevent the Western Cape Education Department from cutting two-thousand-407 teacher posts has been struck off the roll on Monday. The last-minute application was lodged by the Special Action Committee for Education. The department announced the cuts in August this year, citing a 3.8-billion-rand budget shortfall from the national government. Cape Town is set to lose a total of one-thousand-674 teaching posts in January next year, while the Cape Winelands district will see 299 teaching posts slashed.

# The Border Management Authority has confirmed smooth operations at the Lebombo Border Post in Mpumalanga. This follows Mozambique’s opposition leader Venancio Mondlane’s announcement to pause protests for five days. BMA deputy commissioner Mmemme Mogotsi reports no truck queues and they resumed normal traveller processing. She says that the BMA remains on high alert for potential disruptions despite the temporary protest suspension:

# The South African Civil Aviation Authority has condemned the behaviour of a passenger onboard a FlySafair flight from Durban to Cape Town on Boxing Day. Nobuntu Mkhize had to be handcuffed and restrained after she was allegedly refused an alcoholic beverage. The director of Civil Aviation, Poppy Khoza said in terms of the Civil Aviation Act, unruly behaviour is a punishable offence that can lead to imprisonment of up to six months. FlySafair told News24 earlier that Mkhize would be placed on their no-fly list and will not be welcome in future.

# US president Joe Biden is expected to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of one of his predecessors. Jimmy Carter died aged 100 on Sunday. Biden told the media Carter asked him to do the honour in March last year. The two were friends since Biden served in the US Senate while Carter was president. Biden earlier declared the ninth of January a national day of mourning. Carter will be buried alongside his wife of 77-years, Rosalynn, who died just over a year ago.

# Rugby: Stormers director of rugby, John Dobson is worried about the slew of injuries experienced by his Springbok star player Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu of late. The 22-year-old only recently returned after months on the sidelines due to a knee injury, then sustained concussion and a heavy knock, followed by a minor hip-pointer injury, and a collarbone injury during this past weekend’s victory over the Sharks in a United Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town. Dobson is worried the bad luck will dent Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s confidence.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-80-cents and the euro at 19-rand-57-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-60-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-370-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-606-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at-74-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….