News 13:00

BULLETIN 19 January 1 pm

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula says South Africa stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine
# The Israeli prime minster says the Gaza ceasefire will not begin until the hostages’ names are released
# And tennis: Alcaraz is through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is expected today, South Africa stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Mbalula was addressing the media during the ANC’s first ordinary National Executive Committee meeting for this year in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. He says South Africa has been pushing for a ceasefire for months and those who have undertaken the mayhem of perpetuating the genocide must be brought to book:

In the latest development, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military not to begin the ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas issues the names of the hostages to be released. According to a statement from his office, the prime minister instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which was supposed to go into effect at 8:30 am local time, will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide.

# Save South Africa Civic Movement has welcomed the sober thinking by Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa in reversing the decision to cut 67-thousand Community Works Programme workers at the end of this month. Spokesperson Tebogo Mashilompane says the Civic Movement is calling on Hlabisa to not only reverse the decision to terminate the contract, but to ensure that the salaries of the community workers do not fall below the minimum wage:

# The ANC in Johannesburg has welcomed the City Council’s decision to ratify the appointment of the chief operations officer, Tshepo Makola as the acting city manager. Spokesperson Masilo Serekele says following the court judgment that nullified the city manager’s appointment, mayor Dada Morero exercised his authority, as outlined in the council delegations of authority, to appoint an acting city manager, subject to council ratification:

# And tennis: Four-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after British 15th seed Jack Draper retired injured while trailing the Spaniard 7-5 6-1. In another fourth round encounter on the eighth day, American Tommy Paul beat the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three sets. In the women’s competition the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, swept into the quarter-finals by beating 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva of Russia 6-1, 6-2. Sabelenka is joined by American Coco Gauff who beat Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in three sets.

Stay tuned for more news………….