News 08:00

BULLETIN 13 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The government says the International Court of Justice should act despite recent aid allowance in Gaza
# A statue of Tutu with a special Palestinian-African scarf has been unveiled in Cape Town
# Rugby: Bulls, Stormers have two games to secure places in next round of Champions Cup

# The director-general of International Relations and Cooperation, Zane Dangor, says government’s request for provisional measures in Gaza remains strong. This statement comes in conjunction with government’s presentation of a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the Netherlands. The court’s president, Joan Donoghue, announced that a decision on the request is imminent. Dangor dismissed Israel’s claim that South Africa’s legal team was defending Hamas and condemned them for the 7 October attack:

Meanwhile, a statue of archbishop Desmond Tutu wearing a special Palestinian-African scarf has been unveiled at the Old Granary Building in Cape Town. Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation CEO, Janet Jobson, explains the statue is part of an ongoing protest against Israel’s war on Gaza. The statue, adorned with a Palestinian scarf designed for Africa, will be on display daily until the conflict ceases. Jobson says the act is a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Gaza.

# Parliament has assured that all MPs will have office space as the new session commences in a few weeks. Following years of remote work and hybrid sessions due to Covid-19 and a fire that damaged the precinct, the construction of 155 new offices and committee rooms will enable members to resume work in Cape Town. Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo told SABC News the parliamentary workspace is ready for use:

# The International Monetary Fund has predicted continued resilience in global economic growth this year following a stronger than expected 2023. IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack suggests a soft landing for the global economy with subsiding inflation and robust labour markets. However, she emphasises the need for efforts to elevate global growth rates beyond the current anemic three-percent. While the IMF remains optimistic, Kozack acknowledges the risk of low-income countries falling further behind.

# And, rugby: The Bulls and the Stormers have two games in which to secure their top-four positions in the Champions Cup to advance to the next round. The Bulls are away to Bristol Bears today, while the Stormers will host English side Sale Sharks in Cape Town. Both South African teams have won one of their two previous games in the competition and lost the other. Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani expects a physical encounter against Sale, who boasts several South African players:

Stay tuned for more news………….