News 17:00

BULLETIN 31 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa marks the start of preferential trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area 
# The Justice Ministry condemns attempts to forcefully enter the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court
# And cricket: A comprehensive victory for the young Proteas over Zimbabwe in the Under 19 World Cup

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s launch of preferential trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area marks a historic moment in the continent’s economic destiny. Speaking from eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal, he called for a shift from raw material exports, urging the development of made-in-Africa goods. According to Ramaphosa, the agreement has the potential to spur industrial development, foster inclusive growth and empower African champions in finance, retail and telecommunications:

# Justice and Correctional Services minister Ronald Lamola has vowed to take decisive action following attempts to forcibly enter Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo. He strongly condemns the display of the old South African flag, reaffirming courts cannot be playgrounds for lawlessness. The bail hearing of farmer Piet Groenewald and his stepson, Stefan Greeff, has been postponed to Wednesday. Speaking outside court, Lamola reminded residents the gratuitous display of the old is a criminal offence:

# Corruption Watch has voiced its concerns about the lack of progress in the country’s fight against corruption. This comes in response to the latest report from Transparency International’s World Corruption Perception Index, which revealed South Africa has reached a 12-year low in terms of the perception of corruption. The CEO of Corruption Watch, Karam Singh, emphasised to Newzroom Afrika that South Africa is far from winning the battle against corruption: 

# British media group Sky has announced plans to cut around one-thousand jobs in the UK this year as it focuses on digital services. The job cuts represent four-percent of Sky’s 26-thousand workforce. The company says engineers will be the most affected, as the demand for satellite dish installation decreases. Sky’s chief executive, Alex Mahon, says affected employees will provide input during a consultation period before any final decisions are made. Mahon expressed the company’s goal of having digital revenues surpass 50-percent by 2030.

# Cricket: Kwena Maphaka was South Africa’s hero when they beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in their Under 19 World Cup Super Sixes match in Potchefstroom. The hosts put their neighbours in to bat and bowled them out for just 102 within 30 overs. Maphaka took five wickets, while Tristan Luus claimed three scalps. The young Proteas reached the target in their 14th over with just one wicket down, with Lhuandré Pretorius top-scoring with 53. Their next match is against Sri Lanka on Friday, again in Potchefstroom.

Stay tuned for more news………….