News 14:00

BULLETIN 22 January 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The NPA confirms a prima facie case in the Vanderbijlpark learner transport crash
# Minister Aucamp reports flood damage of hundreds of millions of rand in the Kruger National Park
# And tennis: Raducanu plans to re-evaluate her game after her early exit in Melbourne

# The National Prosecuting Authority has confirmed it has prima facie evidence against the driver in Monday’s fatal learner transport vehicle accident in Vanderbijlpark. Twenty-two-year-old Ayanda Dludla appeared in the local Magistrate’s Court today. The NPA’s Gauteng spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said at the court the docket supports 14 counts of murder, rather than culpable homicide. She says the state believes Dludla has a case to answer:

The Public Servants Association has meanwhile called for a national learner transport imbizo following multiple learner-transport tragedies. The association’s Claude Naicker says while acknowledging president Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for safer learner transport, recurring incidents reflect systemic failures. He urges multisector action, including stricter vehicle inspections, driver vetting, enforceable safety standards, and sustainable funding to protect learners nationwide:

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, reports that recent floods in the Kruger National Park caused extensive damage, possibly running into hundreds of millions of rand. He says roads, bridges, staff villages, tourist facilities, and water and electrical systems were affected, with 15 camps closed and tourism operations suspended. Aucamp says despite the destruction, no lives were lost. He adds SANParks has launched the Kruger Recovery Fund to support rapid restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation dispatched dam safety engineers to assess a privately owned dam near Barberton in Mpumalanga after it was reported to be at risk of failure. Spokesperson Wisane Mavasa says the My Own Dam, used for irrigation, shows ongoing spillway erosion. She says authorities are implementing warnings and evacuation measures for nearby communities, particularly in the Barberton Valley:

# Tennis: Former British prodigy Emma Raducanu plans to re-evaluate her game after being ousted in the second round of the Australian Open. She lost in straight sets to local player Anastasia Potapova in Melbourne. Raducanu burst on the scene when she won the US Open in 2021 as a teenage qualifier, but couldn’t win a tournament since. She dropped from tenth in the world rankings to the current 29th, curtailed by several long-term injuries. Raducanu admits she’s not playing the style of tennis she wants.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-21-cents and the euro at 18-rand-94-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 89-thousand-956-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-823-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….