News 17:00

BULLETIN 1 December 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Russian mercenary recruitment case is postponed for bail
# Former Ekurhuleni City Manager Mashazi flags irregular memorandums of agreement signed by the EMPD’s Mkhwanazi
# And Soccer: Banyana Banyana test new strategies ahead of the Morocco clash

# Senior SA fm broadcaster Nonkululeko Mantula and four men have been remanded in custody over alleged involvement in a secret Russian mercenary recruitment scheme. They appeared at Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court, facing charges under the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale says the case, part of a broader investigation into South Africans being recruited for foreign armed conflicts, has been postponed to 8 December for a formal bail application:

# Former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi told the Madlanga Commission that suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi signed two Memorandums of Agreement with Medicare 24 and CAT VIP Protection in October 2021 without her knowledge. The deals involved controversial businessman Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala, with allegations that Mkhwanazi helped fit Matlala’s vehicles with blue lights. She said the documents never reached her office and she was unaware of their origin or implementation:

# City Power is struggling to restore electricity in Johannesburg after heavy storms and rain caused over two-thousand-700 outages. A lightning strike at the Northcliff water tower and flooded roads have slowed repairs. Roodepoort, Reuven, and inner-city areas are the worst hit. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena urged residents to avoid damaged equipment and to use electricity carefully while crews work to restore the supply:

# Rescue teams in western Indonesia are battling to clear roads cut off by cyclone-induced landslides and floods, as the scale of a disaster that has killed close to 700 people in Southeast Asia, becomes evident. According to official figures, at least 176 have been killed in Thailand and three in Malaysia, while the death toll climbed to 502 in Indonesia with 508 missing. The devastation follows months of adverse and deadly weather. Scientists have warned extreme weather events will become more frequent due to global warming.

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says tomorrow’s international friendly in Morocco will be used to test new strategies and assess returning players. The 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions are targeting a top-four finish at next year’s tournament in Morocco. This will serve as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Ellis says the team is refining both attack and defence while giving newer players valuable exposure:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-9-cents and the euro at 19-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-65-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-920-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-255-dollars-24-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….