News 09:00

BULLETIN 25 January 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Public Service minister says government has never had a policy of cadre deployment
# The African Transformation Movement is calling on universities to scrap their application fees for inclusive access to education
# And tennis, it’s women’s semifinal day at the Australian Open

# Public Service and Administration minister Noxolo Kiviet says government does not have and has never had a policy of cadre deployment. This is despite the Zondo Commission report finding that the ANC’s cadre deployment policy is unconstitutional and illegal. In a parliamentary question, the DA asked the minister, whether government plans to abolish the preference of deploying cadres in the public service over prioritising a professional public service. Kiviet says employment in the public service operates on a merit-based recruitment and selection system, rendering the concept of cadre deployment inapplicable for filling positions.

# The African Transformation Movement is calling on universities to scrap application fees, saying access to education is an ideal that must be realised in this lifetime. The party has commended the University of the Free State for scrapping application fees entirely but has criticised the University of the Witwatersrand for its high application fees. ATM’s spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, says while they acknowledge the administrative costs associated with processing applications, the burden placed on prospective students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, cannot be ignored:

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality says firefighters are continuing to battle the fire on the Suurvlakte/Silwerfontein side of the mountain above Wolseley, as it continues to burn out of control. The municipality’s spokesperson, Jo-Anne Otto, says firefighters did make some gains in bringing the fire under control last night. She says, however, the very high fuel load provided by aged vegetation consisting mostly of large, established Bluegum trees, combined with changeable wind directions, uneven ground, and high nighttime temperatures greatly hamper firefighting activities:

# Somalia’s Federal Ministry of Health and its partners seek 105 million rand in funding to enhance cholera response activities. Nine cholera-related deaths and 474 cases have been reported this year in the Hiraan and Middle Shabelle regions. In 2023, over 18-thousand-300 cases were reported, with 55-percent affecting children under five. New treatment centers have been established in various districts including Belet Weyne, Bulo Burto, and Daynile. Ongoing efforts include community education, awareness material distribution, and radio messages on safe water handling and hygiene practices.

# Tennis: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will be looking to avenge her US Open final defeat last year, when she takes on American teenager Coco Gauff today for a place in the Australian Open final. The Belarusian lost out in three sets at Flushing Meadows. Sabalenka has won 12 consecutive matches at the Australian Open and has reached six straight major semifinals. Gauff has won 12 Grand Slam matches in a row. The winner will face either China’s Zheng Qinwen or Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, neither has reached a major final before.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 39-thousand-843-dollars-5-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-15-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-24-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….