News 11:00

BULLETIN 15 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Julius Malema says the MK Party is to blame for the EFF’s decline
# RISE Mzansi is calling for the best quality of learning and teaching in schools
# And America bans Chinese technology in motor vehicles

# EFF leader Julius Malema says the formation of former president Jacob Zuma’s MK Party is to blame for the party’s electoral decline at last year’s general election. The EFF’s national support dropped to 9.5-percent in the May general elections from 10.8-percent in 2019 and was overtaken by the MK Party as the country’s third-largest party. Malema told eNCA that EFF supporters were misled especially in KwaZulu-Natal:

# RISE Mzansi is calling on stakeholders to prioritise conditions that will lead to the best quality of learning and teaching, and that will facilitate the best possible educational outcomes. This is as the 2025 academic year has commenced today. RISE Mzansi’s, Gugu Ndima, says government must ensure the safety of learners and educators at schools, proper infrastructure at all schools, and invest in the enrolment and teaching of Mathematics and Physical Science:

# Action Society calls for public access to the sexual offenders’ list, citing concerns over the parole system’s failure to protect communities. This after Sphiwe Isaac Makula was sentenced to 25 years direct imprisonment for the rape of a 19-year-old woman from Duduza in Ekurhuleni. Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez argues the parole system, which has allowed repeat offenders like Makula to re-offend, needs urgent reform to protect women and children:

# The United States finalised a rule effectively barring Chinese technology from cars in the American market, taking aim at software and hardware from the world’s second biggest economy on national security risks. The announcement comes as outgoing President Joe Biden wraps up efforts to step up curbs on Chinese-made technology, and after a months-long regulatory process. The rule also follows an announcement this month that Washington is mulling new rules to address risks posed by drones with tech from adversaries like China and Russia.

# Tennis: Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is through to the third round of the Australian Open, after beating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, 6-3, 7-5. The Belarusian was 5-2 down in the second set before mounting a comeback. German veteran Laura Siegemund caused the biggest shock in Melbourne so far when she stunned Olympic singles gold medallist Qinwen Zheng of China, 7-6, 6-3. Another two-time winner Naomi Osaka of Japan came from a set down to beat Czech’s Karolina Muchova, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-92-cents and the euro at 19-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-118-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-680-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….