News 14:00

BULLETIN 21 January 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA urges president Cyril Ramaphosa to fire minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni over a 2.5-million-rand tender scandal
# The Lesotho government is ready to assist with the repatriation of the Stilfontein mine victims
# And rugby: Scotland appoints two co-captains for the Six Nations after Sione Tuipulotu’s injury

# The DA says South Africans deserve a cabinet free of corruption. The party has asked president Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss of minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. This follows her alleged involvement in a 2.5-million-rand tender scandal during her time as municipal manager in Ba-Phalaborwa in Limpopo. The DA’s Dianne Kohler Barnard says decisive action is needed to restore public trust in government:

# Lesotho’s government has pledged support to South Africa in repatriating deceased Basotho nationals who were retrieved from the Stilfontein mine in North West. Lesotho Home Affairs minister, Lebona Lephema, stated to SABC News their embassy is awaiting official communication as many deceased remain unidentified due to lack of documentation. He called for Lesotho Exemption papers to be fast tracked to avoid illegal immigration:

# China says it hopes for cooperation with Washington to resolve trade issues, as US president Donald Trump began his second term after previously threatening to impose biting tariffs on the Asian giant. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun says China is willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with the United States, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. He added it is hoped that the United States will work with China to jointly promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations.

# Rugby: Finn Russell and Rory Darge were appointed co-captains for Scotland’s Six Nations campaign after regular captain Sione Tuipulotu had to withdraw from the competition. He suffered a pectoral muscle injury while training for his club, Glasgow Warriors, and will undergo an operation this week. Scotland hosts Italy in the first round of the Six Nations at the end of the month, while France will play Wales, and Ireland will be up against England.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-68-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-84-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-635-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-720-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The deputy national director of Public Prosecutions, Rodney De Kock, has passed away. The 64-year-old had been diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer last month, and succumbed at the Morningside Mediclinic in Johannesburg. De Kock who served as the first black Attorney General in South Africa, also served as the head of the Legal Aid Board Clinic at the University of Cape Town, and as a presiding officer in the Electoral Court in 1997. He was also the founding member of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers.

Stay tuned for more news………….