News 11:00

BULLETIN 19 December 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Post Office’s mandate is expanded with the signing of an amendment bill
# The Western Cape confirms cases of diphtheria
# And Nato wants to strengthen Ukraine for any future peace talks with Russia

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the South African Post Office Amendment Bill into law, which expands the mandate and objectives of the Post Office. The Presidency says the expansion will ensure that the Post Office is not only empowered by the legislation to provide basic postal services, but to also provide other value-added services to expand its revenue-generating streams. It adds the new law also aims to eliminate the state-owned entity’s over-reliance on government funding and ensure efficient utilisation of Post Offices.

# The National Minimum Wage Commission has published its recommendations for the annual review of the national minimum wage in the Government Gazette. This comes after it received written representations on potential adjustments to the minimum wage for 2025. Department of Employment and Labour’s spokesperson, Teboho Thejane, says the commission has recommended the wage to increase by consumer price index plus 1.5-percent. He adds at current inflation levels, the minimum wage would increase to around 28-rand-50-cents per day:

# The Western Cape Health Department says three laboratory-confirmed cases of diphtheria were recently identified in the Cape Town metropole district. One death has been reported while two additional suspected cases are currently being investigated. Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection that spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with an infected person. Symptoms include sore throat, fever, chills, nausea, and difficulty swallowing or breathing. The department says vaccination of individuals at risk is being carried out.

# Nato’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte, says it is important to have strategies in place to strengthen Ukraine in case of any future peace talks with Russia. Last week, the Kremlin said the war in Ukraine will continue until the goals set by president Vladimir Putin are achieved by military action or by negotiation. Rutte has stressed the need to provide comprehensive assistance, including air defence and other weapons systems, to bolster Ukraine’s position:

# Rugby: The Stormers’ Springbok flyhalf, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, says he is ready to put his injury woes behind him as he prepares to make his return against the Lions in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday. The 22-year-old, who made his Test debut against Wales in June, has suffered a knee injury and concussion in recent months. The Stormers have won just two of their opening six games of the URC season. Feinberg-Mngomezulu says the team is motivated to turn things around:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-22-cents and the euro at 18-rand-94-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-166-dollars-28-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-613-dollars-9-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….