News 11:00

BULLETIN 2 December 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula says the ANC failed to convince the SACP against contesting next year’s elections independently
# The National Treasury expects municipal expenditure to increase to 728.3-billion-rand in the next financial year
# And USA Gymnastics is being sued for failing to act against sexual abuse allegations

# ANC secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, says they have failed to persuade the South African Communist Party to reconsider its decision to contest next year’s local government elections independently. The SACP stated its decision was informed by the ANC’s failure to commit to the reconfiguration of the alliance. The ANC has previously said it would not remove SACP ministers and deputy ministers who serve in cabinet under the ANC banner. However, Mbalula says the question of dual membership may need to be reconsidered:

# National Treasury says total municipal expenditure in the current financial year is estimated to be 698-billion-rand, increasing to 728.3-billion-rand in the next year, and 764-billion in 2027/28. Treasury has published the operating and capital budgets of municipalities as adopted by their respective councils. The main cost drivers are employee-related costs and bulk purchases, representing 27-percent and 35-percent of the operating expenditure, respectively. Treasury says the release of the budgets enables communities to hold their municipal councils to account.

# AfriForum has asked Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, to urgently make a complete and transparent progress report on all placements for the 2026 school year available. There have been complaints about the malfunctioning of the department’s online school placement system for Grades 1 and 8. AfriForum’s Carien Bloem says allegations are that the real reason for the system’s malfunctioning may be linked to outstanding payments to the service provider:

Moving abroad:

# The European Union says putting pressure on Ukraine to make territorial concessions in peace talks with Russia is not in the best interests of Kyiv or the EU. European leaders have criticised the initial draft of the 28-point US peace plan, calling it too favourable to Moscow. The plan includes granting Russia territories in eastern Ukraine, while forcing Kyiv to cap the size of its Army. The EU’s Kaja Kallas says allowing Moscow to change borders by force would set a dangerous precedent:

# USA Gymnastics and the US Centre for SafeSport are facing a lawsuit after two gymnasts alleged they were sexually abused at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in Iowa. The lawsuit alleges that both organisations were told about coach Sean Gardner’s inappropriate and abusive behaviour in December 2017, but failed to properly investigate, report him to police, or revoke his coaching credentials. Gardner currently faces federal child pornography charges for allegedly placing a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Mississippi to record his students.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-9-cents and the euro at 19-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-58-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-975-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-213-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-11-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….