News 11:00

BULLETIN 27 January 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SA Canegrowers cautions against tariff cuts that threaten livelihoods
# NATO’s chief says Europe cannot defend itself without the US
# And rugby: Rassie Erasmus says meticulous planning is required ahead of a busy international season

# SA Canegrowers has warned South Africa’s sugar tariff review must protect rural jobs and livelihoods. The organisation says cheap imported sugar is already displacing local produce, causing losses of around 733-million-rand last year. They caution lowering tariffs could destroy the domestic sugar industry, threatening over a million jobs in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. SA Canegrowers will engage with the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa, urging the commission to consider the impact on farmers and rural communities.

# Civil society will today have a chance to make public representations before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption, and political interference in the justice system. Accountability Now, African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, the Institute for Security Studies, and Gun Free South Africa will make their inputs before the committee. Whistleblower Patricia Mashale, who has been mentioned at the Madlanga commission, will also get a chance to make her submissions.

# The GOOD Party is calling for urgent accountability as the gap between government frameworks and the bloody reality on the streets of Cape Town continues to widen. In the last fortnight alone, 84 people were murdered, yet only two arrests were made. GOOD’s secretary general, Brett Herron, says in August 2024, the three spheres of government signed a much-publicised cooperation agreement aimed at integrating resources and intelligence to combat crime:

Moving abroad:

# NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says Europe cannot defend itself without the support of the United States. This follows calls by some leading European politicians for a separate European army, prompted by doubts over US president Donald Trump’s commitment to the continent’s security that were heightened by tensions over Greenland. Rutte has warned European nations they would need to increase defence spending to ten-percent if they really want to do it alone:

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says meticulous planning and out-of-the-box thinking will be required as they face a tough 18-months leading up to next years’ World Cup. South Africa gets the season underway in the inaugural Nations Championship in July. In addition, the Boks face the All Blacks in a historic four-match Test series starting in August. Erasmus says it will be important to manage players spread across different competitions:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand and the euro at 19-rand. One British pound costs 21-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-323-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-87-dollars-37-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-52-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….