News 15:00

BULLETIN 26 January 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Jacob Zuma wasn’t invited to the ANC NEC meeting
# The Prisoners Organisation advocates the legal amendment for job access post-incarceration
# And ugby: Bloemfontein will host the historic first Test between the Boks and Portugal

# ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, has confirmed that former president Jacob Zuma will not attend the party’s three-day National Executive Committee meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng. Mbalula addressed the media regarding the meeting’s agenda and stated the NEC will discuss the next steps in dealing with Zuma’s involvement with the Umkhonto weSizwe party. Mbalula also mentioned that since Zuma’s incarceration, he has not been invited to NEC meetings:

# The South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights is urging a legal amendment to facilitate job opportunities for released inmates who have completed their sentences. Despite inmates performing well in matric exams, SAPOHR asserts the National Senior Certificate earned becomes futile on release. The organisation criticises the current ten-year waiting period for criminal record expungement, hindering individuals from utilising their prison-acquired qualifications to improve their lives.

# The DA in Tshwane has welcomed the council’s endorsement in the passing of the Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations report. The approval gives the green light for the metro to proceed with the 40-year lease of the power stations to independent power producers. The DA’s Kwena Moloto says this marks a decisive move towards the leasing of these crucial facilities to private power producers in the continued attempts to reduce Tshwane’s dependency on Eskom:

# Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, has resigned from his party, the Citizens Coalition for Change. Chamisa cited that the party had been contaminated and hijacked by the ruling ZANU-PF government. He accused the ruling party of using state institutions to undermine the CCC. Chamisa is expected to establish a new party. Meanwhile, his critics say Chamisa’s weak leadership led to deep rifts in the opposition, which has helped president Emmerson Mnangagwa remain in power.

# Rugby: Bloemfontein will host the very first Test between South Africa and Portugal in July. The Springboks will also play home games against Ireland, the All Blacks and Argentina. The world champions will take on Ireland in Pretoria on the sixth of July, and a week later in Durban. The Test against Portugal will take place on the 20th of July, followed by matches against New Zealand at Ellis Park on 31 August, and Cape Town on 7 September. The Boks will face Los Pumas in Mbombela on 28 September.  

Stay tuned for more news………….