News 13:00

BULLETIN 5 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Senzo Mchunu emphasises the term ‘immediately’ did not mean the instant disbandment of the political killings task team
# The DA welcomes the arrest of Jacob Zuma’s alleged superspy
# And rugby: The Springbok Women will play the Black Ferns on South African soil for the first time

# Police minister Senzo Mchunu has told the Madlanga Commission the directive “immediately” did not mean instant implementation of the disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team. This comes after evidence leader Mahlape Sello questioned Mchunu about his decision to disband the team. The minister says he expected further processes and a report from the national commissioner:

# The DA has welcomed the arrest and charging of Thulani Dlomo, the alleged ‘superspy’ who operated at the heart of former president Jacob Zuma’s state capture project. Dlomo, former deputy director of Counterintelligence in the State Security Agency, and the project manager of the Directorate of Special Operations, Patrick Mshotholo, have been arrested and charged with theft, fraud, forgery and uttering involving about 12-million-rand. The DA’s Dianne Kohler Barnard says this is a significant breakthrough in the fight against corruption:

# Civil society welcomed the High Court in Johannesburg’s ruling protecting patients at the city’s clinics. The court has ordered the state to ensure safe and unhindered access to public healthcare following a case brought by civil society organisations, including Treatment Action Campaign and Doctors Without Borders. Since September, vigilante groups obstructed clinics, particularly in Yeoville and Rosettenville. Authorities are now required to remove unauthorised persons and deploy adequate security. The ruling affirms the constitutional right to healthcare for all and mandates immediate state action.

# A key outcome of this week’s fourth South Africa–Mozambique Binational Commission was the signing of a higher education and training cooperation agreement. Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, accompanied president Cyril Ramaphosa to the event in Maputo. Department spokesperson Matshepo Seedat says the deal strengthens technical and vocational education and training, academic partnerships, economic growth, and regional collaboration under the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Education and Training:

# Rugby: The Springbok women will face New Zealand for the first time on South African soil next year as part of the Greatest Rivalry series. This will form part of a double-header at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on September 5, before the Bok men and the All Blacks play in their third Test. The Bok women and the Black Ferns have only met twice before. SA Rugby CEO, Rian Oberholzer, says the Test shows the growing stature of the women, both domestically and internationally.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-92-cents and the euro at 19-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-286-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-223-dollars-95-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….