News 07:00

BULLETIN 1 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Independent Electoral Commission says Jaco Zuma’s claims of bias are unacceptable and undemocratic
# Rise Mzansi calls for ethical and caring leadership amid the upcoming elections
# And, Amnesty International says the decision to withdraw funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency is inhumane

# The Independent Electoral Commission says it strongly rejects former president Jacob Zuma’s utterances that it is biased towards the ANC. Zuma recently accused the commission of favouring the ANC and also claimed that some IEC officials could be bribed to bypass the commission’s system. The IEC’s, Janet Love, has urged political parties to work with the commission to ensure free and fair elections:

Rise Mzansi has meanwhile issued a call for ethical and caring leadership during the upcoming elections. The party encourages all eligible citizens, particularly the youth, to register and update their details during the Independent Electoral Commission’s final registration weekend. The party’s volunteers will actively engage in activities across the country to facilitate the process. Rise Mzansi’s chief organiser, Makashule Gana, encourages citizens who will be away over the weekend to use the IEC’s online voter portal:

# Western Cape MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, has welcomed the arrest of a man in connection with the murder of a 12-year-old girl. The Grade seven learner was killed when she was caught in a crossfire between rival gangs while waiting for her scholar transport outside Ieglaasi Nieyah Primary School in Mitchells Plain. The suspect will appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. Allen says the suspect must now face the full might of the law:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Police says it hopes that the SAPS leadership will earnestly initiate processes to recruit a well-versed leader to continue steering the ship in Gauteng. This follows the retirement of Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela, whose five-year term ended yesterday. The committee’s chairperson, Nocks Seabi, says more people with the qualities exhibited by Mawela are needed in the police service if the country is to succeed in the fight against crime.

# Amnesty International says it is shocking and inhumane that several donor countries have suspended funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza. At least eleven countries have temporarily withdrawn funding, following allegations that 12 staff members of the agency were allegedly involved in the deadly Hamas attack on Israel last year. Amnesty International says instead of suspending vital funding to those in need, countries should be working to halt arms transfers to Israel and Palestinian armed groups and pushing for an immediate and sustained ceasefire.

# Motorsport: Formula One has rejected the Andretti team’s bid to join the sport in 2025 or 2026. The bid, which has been headed up by former McLaren driver Michael Andretti and his father Mario, the 1978 world champion, had been approved by the governing body the FIA. However, F1, as the sport’s commercial rights holder, says their assessment process has established that the presence of an eleventh team on the grid would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship. It has however left the door open for admission from 2028.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-64-cents and the euro at 20-rand-17-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-67-cents and Bitcoin trades at 42-thousand-54-dollars-79-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-46-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-4-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….