News 07:00

BULLETIN 5 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Kubayi says the interviewing process for the new National Director of Public Prosecutions was transparent
# KwaZulu-Natal records a historic drop in festive season road deaths
# And soccer: South Africa is knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations

# Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has described the interviewing process for the next National Director of Public Prosecutions as transparent. Law firm B Xulu and Partners Incorporated filed an urgent application at the Gauteng High Court last month to interdict president Cyril Ramaphosa from appointing the national director. He accused the interview panel of being biased in favour of former Investigating Directorate head, advocate Hermione Cronje. Kubayi told the SABC that all objections were considered fairly:

# The Border Management Authority commissioner, Mike Masiapato, has urged travellers to carry all required documents, stressing that lawlessness will not be tolerated. Speaking at Beitbridge Border Post in Limpopo, Masiapato acknowledged infrastructure and resource challenges but said operations are under control on all border posts. He emphasised that additional peaks are expected in the next two weekends, with authorities prepared to manage the high volume of travellers:

# KwaZulu-Natal has recorded a historic decline in festive season road fatalities and crashes. Transport MEC Siboniso Duma says from the start of the season to Friday last week, crashes dropped by eight-percent, while fatalities declined by 13-percent compared to last year. Duma attributes the improvement to intensified law enforcement under the Nenzani La Ezweni operation, including thousands of arrests for drunk driving and traffic offences across the province.

# Venezuelan Defence minister, Vladimir Padrino López, is demanding the immediate return of deposed president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. This is after they were captured by the US during strikes on Saturday. Interim president Delcy Rodríguez has taken over Maduro’s position with the support of all judicial and political institutions. López says this is an act of aggression against the legitimate president of the country, the First Lady, and Venezuela’s sovereignty.

# Soccer: South Africa has been knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 2-1 defeat to five-time champions Cameroon in the round of 16 in Rabat, Morocco. Goals on either side of halftime by Junior Tchamadeu and Christian Kofane secured Cameroon’s place in the quarterfinals. Evidence Makgopa scored Bafana Bafana’s only goal in the match in the 87th minute. Coach Hugo Broos says he is disappointed with the result:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-49-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 93-thousand-146-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-399-dollars-75-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….