News 18:00

BULLETIN 21 February 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Afrikaans e-hailing service WANATU is back on the streets following a court ruling
# AfriForum questions the accuracy of the police’s latest crime stats
# And tennis: South Africa will host Monaco in the Davis Cup in September

# Afrikaans e-hailing service, WANATU, has resumed operations after the High Court in Pretoria granted the company an urgent interdict preventing the Tshwane Metro Police from impounding its vehicles. With legal assistance from AfriForum, the court ruled in WANATU’s favor. AfriForum’s Louis Boshoff says the service was suspended earlier this month due to permit issues:

# AfriForum has expressed scepticism over the police’s latest crime statistics, questioning whether they accurately reflect crime in South Africa. Police minister Senzo Mchunu reported decreases in murder and stock theft, but AfriForum claims grassroots safety structures have not observed meaningful changes. Spokesperson Jacques Broodryk cites poor record-keeping and mismanagement of crime data as major concerns. He calls for localised law enforcement strategies to fight crime.

# French police will start random searches for knives and other weapons concealed in bags at and around schools in a bid to fight an increase in violent attacks. Education minister Elisabeth Borne says it would be carried out by police, as teachers and school staff are not authorised to search learners. The new policy was prompted by stabbings becoming much more common. Borne will also seek a rule change by which any learner found with a bladed weapon at school would automatically have to appear before a disciplinary council.

# Tennis: South Africa will host Monaco in September’s Davis Cup World Group Two clash. South African captain Pietie Norval expects a tough battle against the European country, who is 51st in the world ranking, and South Africa 58th. The previous time the two countries met in the men’s team competition was in 2005, when Monaco won 4-1. This year’s winner will get the opportunity to play in the playoffs early next year for a place in World Group One.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-34-cents and the euro at 19-rand-21-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-12-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-934-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-31-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Unisa, in partnership with the Gauteng government, is commemorating International Mother Language Day, highlighting the importance of linguistic diversity. Vice-chancellor Puleng LenkaBula emphasised that embracing indigenous languages preserves culture and boosts economic opportunities in sectors like tourism and retail. She urged South Africans to value their mother tongues, as they enhance employability, enhance the economy and unlock new markets:

Stay tuned for more news………….