News 15:00
BULLETIN 23 January 3 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# President Cyril Ramaphosa removes the embattled economist Thabi Leoka from his Presidential Economic Advisory Council
# The Gauteng police condemns a deadly mob justice attack in Tembisa
# And tennis: South Africa’s Donald Ramphadi is through to the last 16 at the Australian Open Wheelchair singles
# President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed embattled economist Thabi Leoka from his Presidential Economic Advisory Council following allegations she doesn’t have a doctorate as she had claimed. She earlier resigned from the boards of MTN SA, Anglo American Platinum and Remgro, but still maintains she obtained her PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics in England. Public records only show she was rewarded a Master’s degree in 2004. Reports say Leoka could face perjury charges if she can’t prove she obtained her doctoral degree.
# Gauteng police have strongly condemned the mob justice attack that claimed the lives of five people in Tembisa. According to reports, the men were stoned to death by community members. Police spokesperson, Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, says community members are urged to report suspected criminal conduct, rather than resort to mob justice:
# Midvaal Municipality mayor, Peter Teixeira, is offering assistance to students who need financial support for a tertiary qualification. This is through the Midvaal Mayoral Student Financial Aid. Teixeira says registrations are for public institutions and full-time students only and the deadline for submission of applications is the 16th of next month:
# Tennis: South Africa’s wheelchair player Donald Ramphadi is through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne, after beating America’s third seeded David Wagner 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the singles. SABC News reports in the women’s singles, the South African, Kgothatso Montjane, also advanced to the next round after her opponent, the fourth-seeded Mokoko Ohtani of Japan, threw in the towel in the second set. Montjane was leading 6-4 and 2-love when Ohtani withdrew from the game.
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-14-cents and the euro at 20-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-32-cents and Bitcoin trades at 38-thousand-790-dollars-54-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-23-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-29-cents a barrel.
# And finally: Prince Andrew’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, has thanked people for their support after the revelation she has skin cancer. The 64-year-old was diagnosed only months after the announcement she has breast cancer, leading to a mastectomy. Ferguson says she is taking time for herself at this stage, while undergoing further investigation to ensure the cancer has been caught in the early stages. She is still sharing a mansion near Windsor Castle with Andrew, whom she divorced in 1996. He relinquished his royal duties after a sex abuse scandal.
Stay tuned for more news………….