News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 January 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says government will help Limpopo residents in flood-stricken areas to rebuild
# AgriSA is confident the country will regain its Foot-and-Mouth Disease-free status
# And in tennis, Roger Federer says it would be crazy if Carlos Alcaraz reaches a career Slam at just 22

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has described Limpopo’s heavy rains as catastrophic. He visited parts of the province yesterday evening to assess the extent of the damage and the response of the government. A boy was swept away in the Mutale River earlier this week, and a four-year-old at Mbaula village on Wednesday evening. The South African Weather Service has upgraded its warning for the province to a Red Level 10, the highest and most dangerous alert. Ramaphosa says government will help the affected residents rebuild:

# The MK Party has called on the Hawks to investigate allegations of corruption and unethical conduct over the commercial trade of lion bones. The party says Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment minister Willie Aucamp, and the DA are implicated, raising serious concerns about corruption, abuse of office, and unethical governance. MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela says additional ethics complaints will be submitted to Parliament:

# AgriSA says it is confident in South Africa’s long-term ability to regain its Foot-and-Mouth Disease-free status, especially as the agriculture sector has repeatedly demonstrated resilience through droughts, disease outbreaks, and infrastructure constraints. Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen wants a state of disaster to be declared due to the escalating outbreak of the disease. The minister aims for the country to be free from the disease by 2036. AgriSA says the government’s updated strategy reflects a more coordinated, risk-based and science-led approach to vaccination, surveillance, movement control and zoning.

# The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal has condemned what it calls vile and dangerous death threats directed at premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. The threats circulating on social media are explicitly calling for the premier’s death. The party says Ntuli’s firm stance against corruption and maladministration has made him a target for individuals who fear accountability. It says it is evident that Ntuli has become a stumbling block to those with an insatiable appetite for embezzling public funds under the guise of service delivery. A criminal case has been opened.

# United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has welcomed the start of phase two of the 20-point US-brokered plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza. The phase includes disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory, and establishing a group of Palestinian experts to govern Gaza. Guterres has reiterated that humanitarian aid must flow unimpeded and the ceasefire must be fully implemented. He adds that the way must be cleared to an irreversible path to a two-state solution in accordance with international law.

# Tennis: Former world number one Roger Federer says it would be crazy if the current best player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz, wins the Australian Open to complete a career-Grand Slam at the age of just 22. The Spaniard had already won all three other Grand Slam tournaments twice, with the title in Melbourne the only one outstanding in his glittering career. His best performances Down Under was reaching the quarterfinals twice. The Swiss maestro says it would be an unbelievable and special moment if Alcaraz succeeds.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-34-cents and the euro at 18-rand-97-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-86-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-456-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-602-dollars-99-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….