News 09:00

BULLETIN 17 February 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA calls on the Gauteng government to implement stringent safety measures in schools
# The ANC is at loggerheads over the appointment of a VBS accused
# And, swimming: Coetzé bags South Africa’s first World Champions medal in Doha

# The DA in Gauteng is calling on the provincial government to strengthen security measures in and outside school premises to ensure a safe learning environment for learners and teachers. This follows a tragic incident in which a school principal of Primrose Hill Primary School in Germiston was shot and wounded, allegedly by a Grade Six learner. The DA’s Sergio Isa Dos Santos says this incident marks the fifth tragic event in Gauteng since the start of the 2024 academic year:

Education activist Hendrick Makaneta also calls on government to find a way to protect teachers and principals from unruly elements. He says the level of crime in schools continue to rise at an alarming rate. There is no doubt that the criminal conduct that learners are exposed to in communities ends up creeping into schools. Makaneta has strongly condemned the shooting of the school principal by a 13-year-old learner:

# The ANC’s Moses Kotane municipality in North West is facing internal discord over the appointment of a chief financial official, Mzwandile Mkhize, who is implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal. Despite directives from the party’s provincial executive committee to remove Mkhize due to fraud allegations, the caucus is resisting. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula ordered Mkhize’s dismissal, citing the party’s anti-corruption policy. However, the municipality’s council endorsed Mkhize’s appointment, leading to a standoff between party directives and local decisions.

# The EFF in Gauteng has responded to National Treasury’s plan to halt conditional grants to Ekurhuleni, citing underperformance. They assert that recent progress in project initiation and compliance with supply chain policies will boost expenditure to over 95-percent. The EFF criticises past failures to maximize grant spending and pledge full allocation towards service delivery. The party’s Dumisani Baleni expressed confidence in meeting financial year-end expenditure targets:

# And, swimming: Pieter Coetzé powered up from eighth to third place in the 200-meters backstroke to claim South Africa’s first medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha last night. The 19-year-old claimed the bronze medal in a personal best time of one-minute-55.99-seconds. Erin Gallagher booked a place in her second final, finishing third in her 50-meters butterfly semifinal to qualify sixth fastest for tonight’s final. Earlier yesterday evening, veteran Chad le Clos won his 100-meters butterfly semifinal.

Stay tuned for more news………….