News 16:00

BULLETIN 29 January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC’s National Executive Committee decides to suspend Jacob Zuma from the party 
# The DA condemns the fatal shooting of a SANDF member by a police member in Limpopo
# And tennis: The Australian Open sets a new Grand Slam attendance record

# The ANC’s national executive committee has decided to suspend former president Jacob Zuma from the party with immediate effect. According to News24, the NEC reached a consensus on Zuma’s suspension during a late-night meeting. Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is expected to formally notify Zuma in writing. This follows Zuma’s announcement that he will not campaign or vote for the ANC following the formation of his new uMkhonto weSizwe Party. The NEC chose suspension over expulsion, as the latter would require lengthier disciplinary processes. Zuma has 48 hours to respond to the allegations against him.

# The DA in Limpopo welcomes the arrest of a police official linked to the murder of a South Africa National Defence Force member near the Hoedspruit police station last week. The accused allegedly shot the soldier after a tavern dispute, following a denial of assistance at the station. The DA’s Katlego Suzan Phala says despite Police minister Bheki Cele’s admission of five-thousand-489 police member arrests since 2019, three-thousand-981 remain employed, facing charges such as murder and corruption, reflecting a failure in SAPS management:

# The City of Johannesburg warns of potential service delivery disruptions in Eldorado Park after a fire crew was attacked by protestors yesterday. Three firefighters were injured, and their fire engine was damaged during the incident. Responding to a reported fire in extension three, the crew faced a barrage of stones thrown by community members during a service delivery protest. Emergency Medical Services’ spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi condemns the violence against those striving to save lives:

# The Department of Roads and Transport in Gauteng faces a crisis as criminals inflict over 30-million-rand in damages to traffic lights along provincial routes. The department warns of the alarming surge in vandalism, affecting over 400 intersections in the past year. They plan to convert some signalised intersections into four-way stops. High-profile intersections, such as Hendrik Potgieter and Christiaan de Wet in Johannesburg, incur repeated vandalism costs exceeding 500-thousand-rand. The department is collaborating with law enforcement and urges public cooperation to combat the scourge.

# Tennis: This year’s Australian Open smashed the attendance record for Grand Slam tournaments again when over a million spectators streamed through the gates of Melbourne Park. The tournament set the previous record of just over 902-thousand last year. It is said to have injected over 7.2-billion-rand into the local economy. Minister of Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, congratulated Tennis Australia and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust on hosting the biggest global event in January. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Italian Jannik Sinner were crowned champions.

Stay tuned for more news………….