News 11:00

BULLETIN 25 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Institute for Security Studies says South Africa needs to revamp its foreign policy following the case against Israel
# A renowned international human rights lawyer believes South Africa will win its case against Israel
# And Dricus du Plessis gets a hero’s welcome at OR Tambo

# The Institute for Security Studies says regardless of what the International Court of Justice decides, a recalibration of South Africa’s bilateral relations will be needed. The court will rule tomorrow on whether or not it will grant emergency measures against Israel, following accusations by South Africa that the Israeli military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide. The ISS says South Africa now needs clear, definite foreign policy positions on Hamas, Israel, Iran, and the US and its allies, with actions that match its rhetoric.

Meanwhile renowned international human rights lawyer, Francis Boyle, believes that South Africa will win a cease-and-desist order against Israel for genocide against the Palestinians. South Africa requested an order for a ceasefire in Gaza and that more humanitarian aid be allowed into the country. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, Boyle says the order could have very significant consequences for Israel:

# 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 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.

# A young woman and her two cousins will be sentenced in April after the High Court in Pretoria found them guilty of the murders of her parents, heavily pregnant sister and young brother in 2016. Onthatile Sebati was only 15 when she came up with the plan to murder her family near Brits in North West to pocket insurance money. She paid her cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, 100-thousand-rand after the victims were killed. Family members said after the verdict the trio were evil.

# Mixed martial arts: South Africa’s first Ultimate Fighter champion, Dricus du Plessis, received a hero’s welcome at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng this morning. He defeated the defending champion, American Sean Strickland, in a brutal five-round fight in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday to win the UFC middleweight title. Du Plessis says winning this title is a big step up for him:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-87-cents and the euro at 20-rand-54-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 39-thousand-984-dollars-16-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-4-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-29-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….