Update@Noon

The South African Human Rights Commission reports receiving numerous complaints about learner placements, especially in Gauteng. The commission says it has been monitoring school admissions programmes over the years and has noted a systemic problem of learners not being placed or not being placed on time. The Commission says this amounts to a direct threat to the constitutional right of every child to basic education. The commissions spokesperson , Mr Wisani Baloyi explains

Former Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane is appearing before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption and political interference in the South African justice system. . He has told parliament that the order for him to step aside in 2017 by former Minister Fikile Mbalula was unlawful. He is the first witness to face the committee in the new year..

Minister John Steenhuisen, further says several provinces have been affected, including Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. He says the department will roll out immediate mass vaccination in hotspot areas, with repeat campaigns within three months. Feedlots and dairy herds will be fully vaccinated. SteenHuisen explains

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen says a foot and mouth vaccination programme has to go hand in hand with enhanced surveillance and movement control. Steenhuisen was briefing the media on the current status of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in South Africa. He says government has vaccinated 2 million animals. He says early detection and reporting are essential to limit the spread of Foot-and-mouth disease in the country.