News 07:00

BULLETIN 26 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A political analyst says the MK party’s over-reliance on Jacob Zuma makes its sustainability difficult
# Deputy president Paul Mashatile highlights initiatives aimed at attracting citizens to the teaching profession
# And, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 31-thousand Ukrainian soldiers have already died in the war with Russia

# The uMkhonto we Sizwe party’s over-reliance on former president Jacob Zuma and his popularity makes its viability and sustainability difficult, if not impossible. This is the view of University of KwaZulu-Natal lecturer Zakhele Ndlovu. A poll conducted by the Social Research Foundation predicts that with a 66-percent voter turnout in the upcoming elections, the MK party could win 24-percent of votes in KZN, with the ANC projected to win 25-percent. Ndlovu says despite its limitations, the MK party is not only a threat to the ANC but to other parties as well.

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile will address the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education in Sandton, Johannesburg, today. The Task Force is a global platform for education stakeholders, which aims to foster advocacy, knowledge exchange, peer learning, and monitoring progress towards Sustainable Development Goal Four on quality education. The presidency says Mashatile will highlight some of the government initiatives aimed at attracting more citizens to the teaching profession to ensure that the quality of education is maintained at a higher standard.

# The EFF in Gauteng has welcomed the renewed commitment by the City of Johannesburg ombud to investigate service delivery issues and cases of maladministration in the city.  The ombud office addresses complaints on service delivery and governance. The EFF’s Naledi Chirwa urges transparency and constant communication with the people of Johannesburg, emphasising their dedication to resolving issues of service delivery and maladministration:

# President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says at least 31-thousand Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago. He also claims 180-thousand Russians have died in the conflict. This is the first time since the end of 2022, that Ukraine has put a number to its military losses. Zelenskyy says they have a clear plan for a new counteroffensive against Russian forces after the first one failed last year due to a lack of weapons. He adds that there is no alternative but to win this war.

# Rugby: Fly-half Paolo Garbisi’s last-minute penalty hit the post to deny Italy a historic win against France in the Six Nations, settling for a 13-all draw in Lille. Ange Capuozzo’s late try and Garbisi’s conversion had drawn Italy level against the 14-man hosts. In the final minute, Garbisi lined up a shot at goal that would have given Italy a first Six Nations victory in France, but his kick hit the post. Italy remains bottom of the Six Nations, level on points with Wales, while France stays in fourth place.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-32-cents and the euro at 20-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-46-cents and Bitcoin trades at 51-thousand-507-dollars-36-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-31-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the South African Chefs Association marks its 50th anniversary, highlighting five decades of remarkable contributions to the culinary industry. The association’s James Khoza says they have been instrumental in promoting diversity and showcasing South African cuisine globally. Khoza says that this has elevated culinary talent and traditions to international acclaim, shaping the industry’s development and recognition over the years:

Stay tuned for more news………….