News 12:00

BULLETIN 8 February 12 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Malema and five other EFF members are barred from attending tonight’s SONA

# The Zimbabwean government plans to abolish the death sentence

# And rugby: The Under 20 World Championship will again be hosted in the Western Cape this year

# EFF leader Julius Malema and the party’s top leadership faced another setback as the Western Cape High Court rejected their bid to interdict their suspension from tonight’s state of the nation address. Malema, deputy president Floyd Shivambu, secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, senior members Vuyani Pambo and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, and party spokesperson Sinawo Tambo will not be at the event when president Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation. The EFF leaders were found guilty of contempt of Parliament after they stormed the stage during last year’s SONA.

Meanwhile, civil rights movement, #NotInMyName, is calling on Ramaphosa to put politics aside and give an honest and true reflection of the real state of the country. The president is set to deliver the state of the nation address in Cape Town this evening. The movement’s leader, Siyabulela Jentile, says Ramaphosa must address the national debt, the high unemployment rate and poverty amongst other critical issues in the country:

# The Zimbabwean government has declared its intention to abolish the death penalty following its first cabinet meeting of the year. Currently, 62 prisoners face the death penalty, governed by laws allowing it for murder under aggravating circumstances, applicable only to men aged 21 to 70-years. The proposed law aims to replace capital punishment with lengthy sentences for murderers while preserving deterrence. Since 1980, Zimbabwe has recorded 79 executions, with the last in 2005. Parliament will soon vote on the legislation.

# Rugby: The World Rugby Under 20 Championship will again be hosted in the Western Cape in June and July this year. After claiming the bronze medal last year, the Junior Springboks will aim to impress once again on home soil. They are in Pool C with England, Argentina and Fiji. SA Rugby CEO, Rian Oberholzer, says they are determined to improve on last year’s event and to present a memorable, world-class tournament that players, match officials and rugby fans will thoroughly enjoy.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-97-cents and the euro at 20-rand-43-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-95-cents and Bitcoin trades at 44-thousand-633-dollars-78-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-30-dollars-1-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The DA in Gauteng is calling for an investigation into the missing mayoral chain belonging to Sedibeng Municipality mayor, Lerato Maloka. According to an affidavit seen by the party, the chain valued at 465-thousand-rand, mysteriously disappeared after the State of the District Address in June last year. The DA’s Kingsol Chabalala says it is strange that a case of theft was only opened in November:

Stay tuned for more news………….