News 13:00

BULLETIN 20 November 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa will chair the South Africa–European Union Trilateral Leaders’ Meeting
# The Madlanga commission chairperson slams Mogotsi for disregarding his oath
# And Rugby: The Boks will face Ireland in their Green and Gold on Saturday

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will participate in the South Africa–European Union Trilateral Leaders’ Meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg this afternoon. The meeting forms part of the long-standing strategic partnership between South Africa and the EU, which remains the country’s largest trading partner and leading source of foreign direct investment. The Presidency says the meeting will advance cooperation on a broad range of priorities, including trade and investment, macro-economic policy, climate change, energy security, digital transformation, peacebuilding, and global governance reform.

# Economists are divided over whether the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee will cut or hold the repo rate at seven-percent. The MPC is expected to deliver its final interest rate decision for the year this afternoon. Inflation rose to 3.6-percent in October, just above September’s 3.4-percent. While Finance minister Enoch Godongwana and some economists anticipate a 25-basis-point cut, SARB governor Lesetja Kganyago says future moves depend on inflation trends and global economic conditions.

# The chairperson of the Madlanga commission, justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has sharply criticised police informant Brown Mogotsi after he admitted to lying under oath. Mogotsi had falsely claimed to a police official in an affidavit that he worked in the Ministry of Police to support an undercover operation. Madlanga says his testimony shows a disregard for truth. He argued deception was part of Mogotsi’s work, but dismissed this justification:

# SANParks says the report by the Save Table Mountain coalition about the Table Mountain National Park’s crime statistics is misleading. Spokesperson JP Louw says no official crime statistics have been released. He says objective public records show that whilst there was a spike in crime on one of South Africa’s most visited landmarks earlier this year, these have now stabilised to around single-digit numbers:

# Rugby: The Springboks will play in their Green and Gold kit in Saturday’s Test against Ireland in Dublin. They have played in their alternative white jerseys in their previous tour matches against France and Italy. Ireland will don white jerseys instead of their usual bright green. The teams have opted for the old tradition of the home team wearing their alternate kits when the jerseys are of similar colour. The Boks wore their alternate white jersey in last year’s two Tests against the Irish in South Africa.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-20-cents and the euro at 19-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-48-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-815-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-61-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….