News 11:00

BULLETIN 21 February 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# GIWUSA welcomes the lower murder rate
# Minister Nzimande says his department will focus on increasing research expenditure
# And the British government considers a law to remove Andrew from the royal line of succession

# The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa has welcomed the lower murder rate for the third quarter of 2025 compared to previous years. GIWUSA president Mametlwe Sebei says although acting Police minister, Firoz Cachalia, is cautiously optimistic about the latest crime statistics, the workers in the country know that the levels of violent crime remain catastrophically high:

# The minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Blade Nzimande says his department will maintain its focus on increasing the gross expenditure on research and development to 1.5-percent of the gross domestic product by 2030. Nzimande presided over the first ministerial management meeting of the department. Spokesperson Veli Mbele says the department will also strengthen the coordination and direction of the national system of innovation and the department’s ecosystem:

# Eskom has installed 349-thousand-964 smart meters nationwide, of which 126-thousand-382 have been deployed on load reduction feeders. Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says these installations empower customers with greater visibility and control over their electricity consumption. It also support accurate billing, and significantly enhance the overall user experience. Mokwena says approximately 90-percent of the smart meters installed on load reduction feeders are concentrated in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu‐Natal, where network risk is highest:

# The MK Party has reiterated its call for immediate lifestyle audits for all members of the judiciary and full public disclosure of judicial financial interests. This follows after Chief Justice Mandisa Maya confirmed that the registrar of judges’ registrable interests may be inspected in terms of the Judicial Service Commission Act. Spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela says this affirms the principle that no arm of the state is beyond scrutiny. Members of the judiciary are also required to declare their financial interests.

# The British government is to consider introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession. He was arrested on Thursday over allegations of misconduct in public office. Calls have been growing in recent days for the King’s brother to be removed from the line of succession, but it will require consultation and agreement with the other realms of the Commonwealth. A recent poll showed 82-percent of the British public would support such a move. Andrew is eighth in line to the throne, behind Prince William and his three children, and Prince Harry and his two children.

# And tennis: Elina Svitolina reached her first WTA 1000 final since 2018 with a marathon 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 victory over third-seeded American Coco Gauff at the Dubai Championships on Friday. Svitolina returned to the top 10 in the world rankings earlier this month, for the first time since 2021, and the first time as a mother. Earlier on centre court, Jessica Pegula maintained her perfect record against Amanda Anisimova and triumphed 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American battle to reach her first final in Dubai.

Stay tuned for more news………….