News 08:00

BULLETIN 20 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Tshwane mayor encourages matrics to continue their dedication in future pursuits
# Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commander goes on trial
# And, motorsport: Sainz becomes the oldest winner of Dakar

# Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink applauds the matric class of 2023 for achieving an impressive 82.9-percent pass rate, surpassing the 80.1-percent recorded in 2022. Commending the resilience of nearly 900-thousand learners amid sector challenges, the mayor praised the Tshwane South District for its outstanding 90.4-percent pass rate, securing a spot in the top ten nationally. Brink extended his gratitude to teachers, school management and parents for their support. He encourages matrics with lower results to explore alternative avenues for improvement:

In another development, the ANC says it is profoundly disappointed with the DA-led coalition government in Tshwane, citing monumental failures since 2016. Accusing the party of corruption and incompetence, the ANC points to four mayors departing amid scandals and financial mismanagement, as declared by the Auditor General, who labelled the municipality effectively insolvent. The ANC criticises mayor Brink for alleged hostility towards workers and lack of service delivery. They also denounce coalition power dynamics, urging residents to reject the DA in the upcoming national elections.

# The Centre for Child Law has applauded the Pretoria High Court’s decision to declare Home Affairs’ unannounced ID blocks on children unconstitutional. The court has instructed the department to promptly unblock IDs of children linked to parents under investigation. Furthermore, Home Affairs must submit a report within 12 weeks, confirming the removal of blocks. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, the organisation’s senior attorney, Liesl Muller, underscored the importance of lawful actions, emphasising the state’s obligation to adhere to the law:

# The long-awaited trial of a child soldier-turned-commander in the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army has begun in Uganda. Thomas Kwoyelo faces more than 90 charges, including murder, rape and the recruitment of child soldiers, which he denies. He is the first LRA commander to be tried by a Ugandan court, which the BBC says marks a watershed moment for the country’s judicial system. Kwoyelo has spent the last 14 years in pre-trial detention, which analysts partly attribute to the scale and complexity of the alleged crimes.

# And, motorsport: Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Junior was the first to congratulate his father, Carlos Senior, when he became the oldest driver to win the gruelling Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. The 61-year-old, nick-named “Matador”, won four stages to secure a first title for Audi. Guillaume de Mevious of Belgium finished second, followed by Frenchman Sebastian Loeb. American Ricky Brabec won the motorcycling category, and Cristina Gutierrez of Spain clinched the lightweight Challenger class, becoming only the second woman to take the title.

Stay tuned for more news………….