News 17:00

BULLETIN 24 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Inflation eased further in December
#The ANC takes a firm stand against dual-party involvement
# And rugby: Chasing the Sun 2 will be released in March

# South Africa’s annual consumer price inflation eased for the second consecutive month in December, declining from 5.5-percent in November to 5.1-percent. This is the lowest percentage since August. The lower rate was driven by lower fuel prices, leading to a decrease in transport costs. Statistics South Africa also says bread and cereal prices fell by 0.2-percent between the two months, but were still 7.5-percent higher than in December 2022. The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee will announce its decision on interest rates tomorrow.

# The ANC has declared robust action against its members engaging in activities of other political parties. It intends removing members from the register if they are associated with parties contesting against the ANC. Public representatives involved in dual-party actions would face immediate suspension, with matters referred to the provincial disciplinary committee. At a news conference, the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal secretary Bheki Mtolo called for unity and support for president Cyril Ramaphosa in the upcoming elections:

Meanwhile, the widow of struggle stalwart Chris Hani, Limpho, has warned former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party against misusing her family name in their election campaigns. Alex Mashilo of the South African Communist Party told Newzroom Afrika Hani has also requested that MK party members stay away from her late husband’s grave. Zuma and the MK Party reportedly plan to visit the former SACP leader’s gravesite on the Gauteng East Rand. Mashilo conveys Hani’s message that her late husband would never associate with corrupt fraudsters and impostors:

# Rugby: Springbok supporters can look forward to the release of the second edition of the documentary Chasing the Sun, again following the team’s road to World Cup glory. The first part about the Boks’ victory in Japan in 2019 was super popular. It showed the run-up to the tournament and gave insights into the planning behind the scenes. SuperSport says the second series will be released in March, giving a second sneak peek into the series that includes captain Siya Kolisi revealing what he loves about the Boks.

# And finally: Ryan Gosling has questioned why his Barbie co-star, Margot Robbie, and director Greta Gerwig were overlooked for personal Oscar nominations. Gosling was nominated for supporting actor for portraying Ken in the blockbuster movie, with Robbie portraying the titular character. The film received eight nominations in total, including for best picture and supporting actress for America Ferrera. Gosling says in his reaction there was no Ken without Barbie, and no Barbie movie without Gerwig and Robbie, who played the biggest role in the history-making, globally-celebrated film.

Stay tuned for more news………….