News 18:00

BULLETIN 26 November 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Shamila Batohi tells Nkabinde inquiry Chauke led key prosecutorial decisions, and not just coordination
# The DA says Panyaza Lesufi prioritised G20 appearances over the plight of residents
# And, at least 13 people have been killed and 15 injured in a major fire in a housing complex in Hong Kong

# National Prosecuting Authority head, Shamila Batohi, has told the Nkabinde inquiry the suspended Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions, Andrew Chauke, played a central role in key prosecutorial decisions and was not merely a coordinator. Batohi presented affidavits and internal memos showing Chauke’s central role in the Cato Manor racketeering case, including strategic decisions in the appeal process, highlighting his direct involvement in major decisions:

# The DA says premier Panyaza Lesufi’s confirmation that the provincial government is unlikely to continue with pre-G20 service delivery standards after the summit, is an insult to the residents of Johannesburg. The party’s Solly Msimanga says despite promises in the State of the Province Address, to fix potholes and clean Johannesburg, Lesufi prioritised appearances over delivery:

# Parliament Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources has welcomed progress on the Mining Cadastre System following its Western Cape pilot phase, calling it a major step toward improving licensing. The cadastre system is a precise register of ownership, location and value of land and properties. Members say the system prevent double licensing, support small-scale miners, and improves transparency for host communities. They also raised concerns about data integrity and lengthy approvals—some taking up to 350 days. The department says it’s working to streamline environmental processes.

# At least 13 people have been killed and 15 injured in a major fire engulfing apartment blocks in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong. More than 700 firefighters are at the scene trying to tackle the blaze at Wang Fuk Court – which houses about four-thousand-600 residents. Wang Fuk Court consists of eight tower blocks, which are each 31-storeys high. Built in 1983, the tower blocks were undergoing renovations, and the outside of the buildings was covered in bamboo scaffolding. Footage showed the fire spread quickly through the bamboo on seven of the eight towers.

# Soccer: FIFA has altered the 2026 World Cup draw format, which will see the top four seeded countries, Spain, Argentina, France and England, avoid each other until the semifinals. At previous World Cups, the path for teams into and through the knockout phase was decided by which group they were drawn into. The draw, to be held in Washington, on December 5, will see 48 teams placed into four pots from which they will be drawn into 12 groups of four teams. South Africa is in pot 3.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-14-cents and the euro at 19-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-62-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-278-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-143-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-56-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….