News 12:00

BULLETIN 16 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Defence Force helicopters are deployed amid the Limpopo floods
# TLU SA warns farmers face losses amid the spread of foot-and-mouth disease
# And soccer: Banyana Banyana’s WAFCON opponents are revealed

# The South African National Defence Force has deployed helicopters to evacuate people stranded by severe flooding in Limpopo. Spokesperson Selinah Rawlins says members of Squadrons 17 and 19 responded to an emergency call, rescuing families near Giyani and Phalaborwa. Victims were airlifted from rooftops and trees along the Olifants River. Rawlins says injured residents were transported to Maphutha Hospital as rescue operations continued overnight.

# Agricultural body TLU SA warns foot-and-mouth disease has escalated into a national agricultural and consumer crisis. The body’s Bennie van Zyl says poor state capacity, delayed vaccine access, and overregulation have allowed the disease to spread unchecked. He calls for a national disaster declaration and private sector involvement. Van Zyl says farmers are facing collapse, and food security is under serious threat:

# ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, Xolani Khumalo, will voluntarily hand himself over to police on Monday. The party’s chairperson, Michael Beaumont, says this follows leaks indicating an intention to arrest him on charges of assault relating to an incident involving a self-confessed drug dealer last year. Beaumont says Khumalo then proactively arranged a meeting with police to establish their intentions in this matter:

# The US embassy in South Africa has criticised Iran’s presence at BRICS naval drills off Simon’s Town in Cape Town, saying its inclusion undermines maritime security and regional stability. Vessels from Iran, China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates sailed into the country last week to take part in the exercises. The US embassy says permitting Iranian military forces to operate in South African waters or going to Tehran and expressing solidarity isn’t non-alignment, it’s choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism.

# Soccer: 2022 champions South Africa has been drawn in Group B alongside the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which will be staged in Morocco in March and April. Banyana Banyana fell at the semifinal stage last year. Defending champions Nigeria is in Group C with Zambia, Egypt and debutants Malawi, while Morocco will play Algeria, Senegal and Kenya in Group A. The four semifinalists will qualify for next year’s World Cup.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-37-cents and the euro at 19-rand-1-cent. One British pound costs 21-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-700-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-605-dollars-21-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….