News 15:00

BULLETIN 15 January 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA demands an inquiry into the Buffelsfontein mine disaster
# BOSA says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the inauguration in Mozambique is a threat to democracy
# And Tennis: Alcaraz and Djokovic back the teenager Joao Fonseca to be one of the best

# The DA has called on president Cyril Ramaphosa to establish an independent Commission of Inquiry into the Buffelsfontein mine tragedy in Stilfontein, North West, where 60 bodies have been recovered. The DA’s James Lorimer cited government failures in combating illegal mining and the lack of criminalisation for such activities. The inquiry seeks to address police and departmental shortcomings and ensure accountability, preventing future disasters. He says that the DA aims to propose solutions, including strengthening laws and law enforcement capabilities.

# Build One South Africa says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s attendance of the inauguration of Mozambique’s president-elect Daniel Chapo sends a dangerous message about South Africa’s stance on democracy. The party argues the Mozambican elections were plagued by violence and irregularities, including assassination attempts on opposition leaders, undermining their legitimacy. BOSA acting spokesperson Roger Solomons warns that such endorsements risk destabilising the Southern African Development Community region and eroding democratic values:

# The Gauteng Traffic Police is calling on public transport operators to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy as the 2025 academic year commences today. Last year saw several incidents involving scholar transport including when 42 learners from Relebogile Secondary School in Carletonville were involved in a serious accident. Police spokesperson, Sello Maremane, says unroadworthy vehicles will be impounded and non-compliant drivers prosecuted:

# Russia launched dozens of missiles and drones at the Ukrainian energy sector, ramping up a months-long bombing campaign at a precarious moment of the war for Ukraine. The assault came just one day after Kyiv said it had carried out its largest ever aerial attack on Russian army factories and energy hubs, hundreds of kilometres from the front line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow had fired more than 40 missiles and over 70 attack drones in an overnight barrage against sites including gas infrastructure.

# Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz tipped giant-killing teenager Joao Fonseca to “really soon” be one of the best players in the world while Novak Djokovic said he saw shades of his younger self in the Brazilian. The fearless 18-year-old qualifier stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets on his Grand Slam debut yesterday. Fonseca last month became the second-youngest champion of the NextGen ATP tournament since current world number one Jannik Sinner claimed the title five years ago. Four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, himself only 21, was suitably impressed.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-87-cents and the euro at 19-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-6-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-646-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-686-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-39-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….