News 07:00

BULLETIN 9 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cyril Ramaphosa says the January 8 Statement will set out key priority areas for the ANC
# Public Interest SA says the publication of the matric results is a victory for transparency
# And the GOOD Party labels the Stilfontein mine saga a humanitarian disaster

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the party is in a rebuilding phase as it celebrates its 113th anniversary. After losing its majority in last year’s general election, the ANC was compelled to form a government of national unity with opposition parties. Ramaphosa says the ANC’s January 8 Statement, which he will deliver in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on Saturday, will provide a detailed analysis of the current political environment and set out key priority areas:

# Public Interest SA has welcomed the High Court in Pretoria’s decision to strike off the roll of the Information Regulator’s urgent application to block the publication of the 2024 matric results in the media. The court found that the regulator did not act timeously before bringing its application and struck the matter from the roll with costs. This means the Department of Basic Education’s publication of the matric results next week will be lawful. Public Interest SA views this ill-advised litigation as an egregious judicial system abuse.

# The GOOD Party says the Stilfontein mining crisis in North West is a humanitarian disaster requiring urgent government intervention. Over 500 illegal miners remain trapped underground after more than three months, with several deaths already reported. The party accuses the government of violating constitutional rights by blocking rescue efforts and failing to address the socio-economic issues driving illegal mining. GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron, warns it become one of South Africa’s worst humanitarian failures:

# The Gauteng Legislature’s Finance portfolio committee says it is committed to intensify oversight to ensure fiscal discipline. This follows an article that reported a concern over a possible six-billion-rand budget shortfall and a rebuttal by MEC for Finance Lebogang Maile. The committee’s chairperson, Andiswa Mosai, says regular expenditure reviews and strategic advice aim to prevent budget overruns, reinforcing accountability across provincial departments amidst economic challenges:

# UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Britain today. The meeting comes after the two leaders earlier this week hit out at tech billionaire Elon Musk over his increasingly strident interventions into domestic European politics. Starmer will host Macron at his country house retreat of Chequers in Buckinghamshire near London. The meeting will focus on areas of cooperation and shared global challenges, including support for Ukraine, tech and AI, growth, and tackling illegal migration.

# Athletics: UK Athletics has been charged with corporate manslaughter, and its former head of sport, Keith Davies, with gross negligence manslaughter, after the death of a Paralympian shot-putter in 2017. Abdullah Hayayei was preparing to represent the United Arab Emirates in the shot put, discus, and javelin at the World Para Athletics Championships when a metal throwing cage fell on him. The tragedy happened at the Newham Leisure Centre in London. UK Athletics and Davies will appear at the Westminster Magistrate’s Court on the 31st of this month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 19-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 94-thousand-938-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-660-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….