News 06:00

BULLETIN 2 December 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Mashatile says South Africa has made strides in addressing the AIDS epidemic
# A probe is underway to determine the cause of a deadly bus accident in Worcester
# And rugby: The Blitzboks finish a disappointing sixth in Dubai

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says over the past years, South Africa has made significant strides in addressing the HIV and AIDS epidemic. He delivered the keynote address at the official commemoration of World AIDS Day in the Eastern Cape yesterday. There are nearly eight-million people living with HIV, and TB remains the leading cause of death, claiming around 56-thousand lives a year. Mashatile says scientists are optimistic that improved treatment options can enhance prevention, and they are actively working on a cure and vaccine:

Meanwhile, Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the government will look at calls for HIV/AIDS patients to get six months’ worth of antiretrovirals. The demand was included in the Treatment Action Campaign memorandum on World Aids Day yesterday. HIV is prevalent among young people, especially adolescent girls and young women between the ages of 15 and 24, with a weekly record of one-thousand-300 new cases. Motsoaledi says the country has made progress in eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination:

# An investigation is underway to determine the cause of a bus accident that claimed the lives of eight people including six children on the N1 near Roux Park in Worcester. Twenty-two passengers sustained injuries ranging from serious to minor. Initial reports indicate the bus was travelling from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town when it overturned. Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku says the safety of road users remains their highest priority, and they commend the emergency services and first responders working tirelessly under challenging circumstances.

# The DA in Gauteng claims that the Gauteng Health Department’s decision to reinstate senior officials involved in the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital refurbishment scandal has raised serious concerns. The officials, suspended for irregularly appointing contractors in a project that ballooned from 50-million-rand to 500-million-rand, are returning before disciplinary hearings conclude. DA Gauteng Member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Alan Fuchs, says this decision undermines accountability, with opposition members questioning the ethics and governance of the department. Fuchs has called for clarity over the handling of public trust.

# Republican President-elect Donald Trump said on the weekend he wanted former National Security official and loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI, signaling an intent to drive out the bureau’s current director, Christopher Wray. Patel, who during Trump’s first term advised both the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense, has previously called for stripping the FBI of its intelligence-gathering role and purging its ranks of any employee who refuses to support Trump’s agenda. A Republican first appointed by Trump, Wray’s ten-year term at the FBI does not expire until 2027.

# Rugby: The Springbok Sevens finished a disappointing sixth at the Dubai Sevens. They went down 17-15 to France in the fifth-place playoff after being knocked out of the Cup quarterfinals when they were beaten 24-17 by New Zealand. Fiji defeated Spain 17-5 in the final to take the early lead in the 2024/25 season standings. It is the first time in six years that a side other than the Blitzboks has won in Dubai. Coach Philip Snyman says their overall performance was disappointing:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-10-cents and the euro at 19-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-458-dollar-84-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-648-dollars-39-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….