News 07:00

BULLETIN 5 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Lamola says the US has no right to exclude South Africa from the G20
# United Africans Transformation says the 30-percent pass mark threatens learners’ futures
# And rugby: Eben Etzebeth handed a 12-week ban for the eye-gouge incident

# International Relations and Cooperation minister, Ronald Lamola, says South Africa’s G20 Presidency was built on the belief that treating Africa and the Global South as equal partners is not an act of charity, but a strategic imperative for a prosperous world. This comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that South Africa’s presidency operated with spite, division, and radical agendas. In an open letter, Lamola emphasised that no single member of the G20 has a unilateral right to exclude South Africa from the group.

Meanwhile, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula says it seems like South Africa is becoming the target of imperialist aggression by the United States of America. Rubui accused the ANC-led government of having an appetite for racism and tolerance for violence against Afrikaners. Mbalula says the US continues to attack South Africa, which is a peaceful, sovereign nation:

# United Africans Transformation has slammed the government of national unity’s decision to maintain a 30-percent pass mark in South Africa’s schools, calling it a threat to learners’ future competitiveness. UAT warns that the low threshold normalises underperformance, leaving learners unprepared for the modern workforce. The group calls for urgent reforms, including improved teacher support, smaller classes, and digital learning tools. It also called for stronger literacy and numeracy programmes to equip learners with the skills needed for global opportunities.

# The DA has raised an alarm over Gauteng’s 2026 school admissions, leaving parents uncertain about their children’s placements. The DA’s Sergio Isa Dos Santos says delays, poor planning, and lack of transparency risk learners losing weeks of school. Parents report receiving no updates or being placed in distant schools. He demands that the Gauteng Department of Education urgently finalise placements, improve communication, and ensure an efficient system before the new academic year begins:

# Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations chairperson, Mmusi Maimane, has requested the Office of the Public Protector to investigate allegations of irregular appointments, maladministration, and financial misconduct at Frere Hospital in the Eastern Cape. A whistleblower claims that the hospital’s acting CEO has been removed without a clear reason. The whistleblower also alleges that a new CEO, who was previously suspended for the alleged misappropriation of funds, has now been reinstated. Maimane says concerns were also raised about irregular tender processes involving land use on the hospital premises.

# Rugby: Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has received a 12-week suspension for gouging the eye of Wales flanker Alex Mann. The incident occurred during South Africa’s dominant 73-0 victory against Wales in Cardiff last Saturday. An independent disciplinary committee considered Etzebeth’s act intentional and placed the offence at a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks. The sanction was reduced by six weeks due to his previously clean disciplinary record. The 34-year-old will miss the Sharks’ next 12 fixtures and will not be free to play again until 28 March 2026.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-98-cents and the euro at 19-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-450-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-199-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….