News 15:00

BULLETIN 16 February 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# E-hailing drivers demand police intervention after a rise in attacks
# Namibi’s president calls for urgent investment in water and sanitation
# And rugby: Perth will host the Springboks against the Wallabies in September

# The National E-Hailing Federation of South Africa calls for urgent safety measures after attacks on e-hailing drivers. a driver was murdered in Pretoria last week, while another was assaulted in Durban. The federation’s spokesperson, Tella Masakale, urges rider verification, panic buttons in vehicles, and rapid response police units to ensure faster emergency response and driver safety.

Meanwhile the case against the accused in the murder of 22-year-old Nigerian e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat has been postponed to next Monday for further investigations. Dikeledi Phela, Gositsiane Machidi, and McClaren Mushwana appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on murder and robbery charges. Dashcam footage shows Satlat being strangled and restrained in his car. His body was found in Pretoria West. The accused remain in custody, with Phela at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre and the men at Pretoria North police station.

# The EFF Youth Command is calling on all universities to allow students with outstanding historical debt to register for the academic year. More than 720-thousand students are impacted by student debt, preventing them from registering or graduating. The organisation’s Thandeka Mvuyane says when universities exclude students based on historical debt, they are not merely applying financial regulations, they are reproducing structural inequality:

Moving abroad:

# Namibian president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged African nations to invest in sustainable water resources and sanitation. Speaking at the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted that sanitation ensures dignity, good health, and a better quality of life. She warned water scarcity fuels migration and conflicts. She referred to Namibia’s grazing disputes as an example, and stressed urgent investment in water and sanitation programmes:

# Rugby: Perth, renowned for its strong support for the Springboks, will host the world champions against Australia in a Mandela Plate Test in September. This is one of six home Tests for the Wallabies confirmed by Rugby Australia. Perth will also host a Test against Italy in July in the inaugural Nations Championship. Before then, the Aussies will play Ireland in Sydney and France in Brisbane. In August, Japan will face the Wallabies in Townsville, followed by the Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks in Sydney.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-95-cents and the euro at 18-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-602-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-3-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-32-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….