Daily news update: Matric results, ANC MP guns for Ramaphosa, road stats

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Daily news update 19 January

Court orders Department of Education to publish matric results in newspapers

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will have to publish matric results on media platforms after the Pretoria High Court ruled in favour of AfriForum on Tuesday.

“[Education Minister, Angie Motshekga] is ordered to publish the National Senior Certificate [NSC] results on public platforms as was the practice in previous years, concurrently with making available the results to the schools that had been attended by the [pupils],” the judgement read.

The department was also ordered to pay the costs of Afriforum and two other parties involved in the case.

Umalusi gives green light for release of 2021 matric results

The council for quality assurance in education, Umalusi, has given the green light for the release of the 2021 matric results.

“Having studied all the evidence presented, the executive committee of the Umalusi Council, noted that apart from some examination irregularities identified during the writing and marking of the examinations, there were no systemic irregularities reported that compromised the credibility and integrity of the November 2021 NSC examinations as a whole,” said Umalusi Council chairperson, Professor Jimmy Volmink. 

ANC MP wants Ramaphosa to appear before Scopa over leaked audio

President Cyril Ramaphosa could be summoned to Parliament to give answers over a leaked audio in which he noted that state resources and public funds were allegedly used for ANC’s campaigns.

In the audio recording, Ramaphosa is heard saying he was “willing to fall on the sword” to protect the ANC, instead of revealing the names of the members who had allegedly used public funds for their political campaigns ahead of the governing party’s 2017 elective conference.

Festive season road stats: More than 1,600 fatalities due to slippery roads

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released the festive season road statistics on Tuesday, saying the country saw “some of the most heart-wrenching crashes” over the past festive season.

Mbalula says a total of 1,685 fatalities were recorded during the 2021 festive period, which is a 14% increase compared to the previous year.

The minister cited the 12th January accident, which claimed 17 lives and injured eight on the N1 near Mookgophong, Limpopo.

“The bus driver lost his life along with the passengers due to the bus catching fire that entrapped them inside immediately after impact,” he said during a media briefing.

EFF and ANC withdraw their candidates from Joburg council meeting

Tuesday’s Joburg council sitting led to the EFF and ANC withdrawing their candidates for the election of the council chair of chairs and committee chairs.

Voting by a show of hands only commenced after 6pm after a day of delays, interruptions and point of orders.

Members of the ANC and EFF clung stubbornly to their demands for the elections to take place via a secret ballot.

But house speaker Vasco Da Gama stuck to his decision that the elections take place via a show of hands.

COPE’s Collen Makhubele was voted in as chair of chairs.

EFF parliament case thrown out of court

The Western Cape High Court has thrown the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFFs’) urgent interdict application to suspend sanctions against its members out of court.

A report from the National Assembly’s (NA’s) Powers and Privileges Committee penalised EFF members for disrupting Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s budget vote speech on 11 July 2019.

The committee ruled that EFF MPs Nthako Matiase and Nokulunga Sonti did not receive their salaries for a month, while 14 other MPs were fined one month’s salary and allowances.

The EFF MPs repeatedly raised points of order, which were ruled invalid by Presiding Officer NA House Chairperson Grace Boroto.

Court orders that parly ‘arsonist’ Zandile Mafe be released from Valkenberg hospital

The Court has ruled that alleged parliament arsonist Zandile Mafe’s referral to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital was unlawful.

The case was heard at Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Mafe’s lawyer Senior Counsel Advocate Dali Mpofu represented him in absentia to argue that the move to send him for psychiatric evaluation was unlawful.

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