News 16:00

BULLETIN 15 February 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA holds president Ramaphosa responsible for the deaths of SANDF soldiers in the DRC
# The EFF’s manifesto addresses the energy crisis alongside land and jobs
# And Tennis: An easy victory for Jannik Sinner in his first match since clinching the Australian Open title 

# The DA blames president Cyril Ramaphosa for the deaths of two South African Defence Force soldiers killed yesterday by mortar fire in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. DA national spokesperson for Defence and Military Veterans, Kobus Marais insists that Ramaphosa was cautioned against deploying more troops due to insufficient capacity to combat the M23 rebels. Marais urges Parliament to prevent further loss of life:

# The EFF says their election manifesto, with its commitments on vital issues like land, jobs, energy, and education, is a clear demonstration of their agenda prioritising the people’s benefit. Under the theme of our land and jobs now, and stop load-shedding, the manifesto calls for action. Briefing the media at the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg, EFF leader Julius Malema expressed gratitude to attendees at the Kwazulu-Natal launch of the manifesto:

# Eskom has confirmed the full restoration of electricity to Central Karoo towns and surrounding areas. Teams have been working tirelessly to re-energise the network, with the first of seven substations live since early morning. According to the power utility, customers in the affected areas will be exempted from load-shedding until 26 February.

# Tennis: Top-seeded Jannik Sinner will play popular French veteran Gael Monfils in the round of 16 at the Rotterdam Open in the Netherlands tonight after easily beating local player Botic van de Zandschulp in his first match since winning the Australian Open. The Italian says he realises everyone wants to beat him since claiming his first Grand Slam title last month, but he welcomes the challenge. Second-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev and fifth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur are already through to the quarterfinals.

# And finally: Renowned South African ceramic artist Mandi Friedman has been chosen as the country’s ambassador for the 7th edition of the ‘Art Connects Women’ event in Dubai. Friedman, acclaimed for her vibrant and whimsical sculptures, especially her work featuring primates in Rwanda, aims to honour the legacy of Dian Fossey, the renowned American primatologist. Friedman views this opportunity as a platform to showcase South African ceramic artistry globally and represent her fellow artists on an international scale.

Stay tuned for more news………….