News 12:00

BULLETIN 12 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom reports a stronger power system on entering 2026
# The Independent Examinations Board achieves a 98.31-percent pass rate in the matric exams
# And tennis: Daniil Medvedev believes he will be hard to beat at the Australian Open

# Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan, launched in April last year, has added four-thousand-400 megawatts of capacity, improving system stability and reliability. Energy availability rose to 64.55-percent, unplanned outages dropped to 16.02-percent, and diesel use savings reached 16-billion-rand. Eskom says with improved maintenance and reduced reliance on emergency generators, it now delivers more consistent baseload power, boosting investor confidence and supporting the country’s economic recovery.

# The Cape Winelands Fire Services report ongoing operations for a fire originating in Langrug and spreading to Wemmershoek near Franschhoek. Spokesperson Anesca Roodt says firefighting teams, supported by aerial resources and local municipalities, focused on structure protection at Mont Rochelle and Chamonix Wine Estate. She says multiple flare-ups were contained, and no injuries or property damage have been reported. Roodt says monitoring and mopping-up operations continue:

Meanwhile, the mayor of the Overstrand Municipality in the Western Cape, Archie Klaas, says farmers in the Pearly Beach and Stanford areas have suffered significant losses in the recent fires. Vast stretches of veld have burned away completely, leaving no grazing for livestock and game. Klaas says farmers farming with cattle, sheep, and game are now facing a huge challenge to keep their animals fed and watered in an environment where natural resources have been destroyed. He says community support is urgently needed.

# The Independent Examinations Board has achieved an overall pass rate of 98.31-percent in the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations. This is slightly lower than the 98.47-percent pass rate achieved in 2024. The class of 2025 attained a bachelor’s pass rate of 89.12-percent. A total of 17-thousand-413 IEB learners wrote the exams, with 161 achieving distinctions in all of their seven subjects. IEB CEO, Confidence Dikgole, says in a context of sustained growth and changing learning environments, the consistency of these results is reassuring.

# Tennis: Three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev says in his current form, he believes he will be hard to beat at Melbourne Park this year. The Russian defeated American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 7-6, to win the Brisbane International yesterday for his 22nd tour-level crown. Medvedev, who split with long-time coach Gilles Cervara, says he is the underdog in Melbourne, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz overwhelming favourites:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-42-cents and the euro at 19-rand-18-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-9-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-368-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-582-dollars-22-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-97-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….