News 17:00

BULLETIN 2 December 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Motorists brace for another fuel price blow
# Mashazi confirms that EMPD deputy chief Mkhwanazi’s appointment was irregular
# And Rugby: SA Rugby promises a high-octane sevens tournament in Cape Town this weekend

# Motorists face another surge at the pumps as fuel prices are set to rise from tomorrow. The prices of 93 and 95-octane petrol will increase by 29-cents per litre at midnight, diesel will go up by 82-cents and illuminating paraffin by 74-cents, while LP Gas prices will rise by up to 24-cents per kilogram. Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources spokesperson Robert Maake says the increases are driven by international petroleum prices and the rand–US dollar exchange rate:

# Former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi told the Madlanga Commission that suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi’s appointment was irregular. She said the interview panel never reconvened to consider candidates using interview results and competency assessments. Mashazi admitted she had no records of the process. She warned that if assessments were incomplete and the panel didn’t reconvene, the appointment could be legally invalid:

# Standard Bank says the 0.5-percent growth in South Africa’s GDP in the third quarter is in line with expectations. Most sectors expanded, except electricity, while household spending remained steady. The bank’s Elna Moolman says the economy is performing as expected despite a challenging year. Moolman anticipates stronger growth in the medium term:

# Canada will join the European Union’s Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, initiative. Prime minister Mark Carney’s office says the country’s participation in SAFE will give Canadian defence companies expanded access to the European market and attract European defence investment into Canada. The almost three-trillion-rand re-armament fund was announced earlier this year. It is part of a major drive to get the EU ready to defend itself by 2030 amid fears of a Russian attack and doubts about US protection.

# Rugby: This weekend’s revamped world series sevens tournament in Cape Town will see the Springboks join seven other men’s and eight women’s teams. The Blitzboks are the defending champions. SA Rugby confirmed that the Mother City’s biggest rugby party kicks off with fan specials, with the first 500 supporters buying 350-rand Party Stand tickets, scoring a free drink. A family-of-four package costs 750-rand and those tickets go on sale Friday morning. SA Rugby promises a high-octane tournament.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-10-cents and the euro at 19-rand-86-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-58-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-167-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-211-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-93-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….