News 17:00

BULLETIN 6 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC moves to discipline Tony Yengeni and Obed Bapela for bringing the party into disrepute
# A new ANC membership system is to launch as the party celebrates 113-years
# And Rugby: The Ackerley Sports Group seeks a new deal for the Springboks’ commercial rights

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has announced disciplinary action will be taken against veteran ANC members Tony Yengeni and Obed Bapela for conduct deemed damaging to the party’s reputation. Yengeni faces charges for criticising the ANC leadership on social media and supporting the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party. Bapela is under fire for an unauthorised trip to Morocco, conflicting with the ANC’s stance on Western Sahara. Mbalula warned that members engaging in disruptive behaviour, will face consequences:

Meanwhile the ANC will launch a new membership system as part of its 113th anniversary celebrations. The initiative reflects the party’s focus on renewal and improving internal processes. Addressing the media, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the system will modernise how members are registered and recognised, including the introduction of updated membership cards:

# North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has called for urgent action after a 16-year-old girl gave birth to her second child on New Year’s Day, just two years after having her first child at 14. The girl’s first child’s father was a 15-year-old boy, while the father of her second child is reportedly a 35-year-old man. Mokgosi urged authorities to investigate the adult male and take legal action against those exploiting minors. The young mother, who dropped out of school, concealed her pregnancy and lacked prenatal care.

# Trading in shares of Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, has resumed after being suspended for more than four years. The airline sought a suspension in July 2020 when the government proposed a law to renationalise the troubled carrier in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic that devastated global air travel. But the nationalisation plan was ultimately dropped and the airline returned a profit last year for the first time in years. The Kenyan government owns a 48.9-percent stake in Kenya Airways, while Air France-KLM has 7.8-percent.

# Rugby: Ackerley Sports Group plans to pursue a new deal for the commercial rights to the Springboks after its initial bid failed. Despite support from South Africa’s Sports minister Gayton McKenzie, the Seattle-based group’s 1.3-billion-rand offer for a 20-percent stake in SA Rugby’s commercial rights was rejected by member unions. According to News24, Ackerley remains optimistic, aiming to work with a South African consortium. SA Rugby president Mark Alexander emphasised strategic growth to prevent financial collapse of SA Rugby.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-15-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-39-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-644-dollars-39-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-80-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….