News 17:00

BULLETIN 12 February 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia urges professionalism from law enforcement as SONA gets underway
# The Independent Police Investigative Directorate raises concerns over the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department’s disciplinary process
# And Olympics: A Ukrainian athlete is banned over his helmet

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia has called on law enforcement to demonstrate vigilance and professionalism as president Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his state of the nation address tonight. Addressing officials in Cape Town, Cachalia said SONA demands the highest level of preparedness to ensure safety. He urges members to act within the Constitution, treat the public with respect, and showcase the critical role police play in protecting democracy:

In other news regarding SONA, the Water and Sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa have been pulled from the state of the nation address to tackle Johannesburg’s worsening water crisis urgently. The move comes after prolonged outages sparked protests in some areas, including Midrand and Parktown West. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said president Cyril Ramaphosa considers the water crisis more important than the SONA and wants it resolved urgently. Magwenya added Ramaphosa is also concerned about water shortages in other parts of the country.

# A senior investigator at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Nomsa Masuku, has told the Madlanga Commission that the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department refuses to discipline officers unless IPID provides full case dockets, including witness details. Masuku warned this exposes witnesses to danger and risks cases collapsing before trial. She said investigators must use discretion to protect witnesses, adding that departments can still initiate internal processes without waiting for IPID’s final recommendations:

# Counting began in Bangladesh’s pivotal national election after millions of people voted for a new government. The elections follow the 2024 ousting of long‑time premier Sheikh Hasina in a tumultuous Gen Z‑driven uprising. Analysts say a decisive result is crucial for steady governance in the nation of 175-million. Deadly anti-Hasina protests triggered months of unrest and disrupted key industries. The contest pits coalitions led by former allies, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islamist Jamaat‑e‑Islami. Hasina’s Awami League is banned, and she remains in self‑imposed exile in India.

# Olympics: Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych says being banned from competing at the Winter Olympics in Northern Italy is the price of dignity. The International Olympic Committee has banned him for continuing to wear a helmet featuring images of athletes killed during Russia’s invasion of his home country. IOC president Kirsty Coventry visited the 26-year-old at Cortina’s sliding track in a final attempt to convince him not to wear the helmet during competition. However, he wouldn’t consider any form of compromise and was subsequently banned from competing.  

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-83-cents and the euro at 18-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-61-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-79-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-80-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-48-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….