News 16:00

BULLETIN 22 January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC confirms Umkhonto weSizwe’s participation in the elections depends on a court ruling
# The Johannesburg mayor initiates temporary housing for fire victims
# And golf: Nick Dunlap becomes the first amateur since 1991 to win a PGA tournament

# The Independent Electoral Commission has confirmed the registration of Umkhonto weSizwe to participate in this year’s general elections. However, IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya told Newzroom Afrika two court matters are yet to be ruled on, which will decide the party’s eligibility to contest. He says despite the pending legal challenges, the party expresses confidence and remains undeterred in its commitment to participate in the elections:

# City of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda is coordinating temporary accommodation for the victims following yesterday’s deadly fire in the CBD. A building on the corner of Commissioner and Nugget Streets caught fire, leaving two people dead and injuring four others. Over 100 people, residing in shacks in the building, have been rendered homeless. A suspect, believed to have started the fire, has been arrested. Gwamanda says the city is actively working on relocating and providing emergency shelter for those affected:

# Eskom has announced the reinstatement of the general manager of the Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town, Velaphi Ntuli. He was suspended in 2021, during former CEO André de Ruyter’s tenure due to performance issues. News24 reports Ntuli’s return is deemed crucial for the completion of the steam generator replacement project and Koeberg’s extended operation. Eskom aims to secure a 20-year operating license for the nuclear plant. Unit two is expected to resume operation by September, following an outage for steam generator replacement. 

# Russian authorities have laid serious criminal charges against four people following a large protest in the central region of Bashkortostan. Local media reports security forces in the city of Ufa, in the Urals mountains, arrested the fourth suspect yesterday evening. The charges follow protests by thousands last week over the jailing of an indigenous rights activist. Reports say police were swift to crack down on what was a rare large showing of dissent in Russia since Moscow’s war against Ukraine started.

# Golf: American Nick Dunlap became the first amateur since 1991 to win a PGA tournament by clinching the American Express event in California. The reigning US Amateur champion finished at minus 29, with South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout second on minus 28, followed by three players tied on minus 27. Dunlap wasn’t allowed to claim the prize money of 28.7-million-rand since he is an amateur. The 20-year-old student at the University of Alabama now has to decide whether to become a professional player.

Stay tuned for more news………….