News 13:00

BULLETIN 6 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Police launch a manhunt for three suspects following the massacre at a Pretoria hostel
# President Ramaphosa condemns the  murder of the Madlanga Commission witness
# And Gauteng records 18 road fatalities in the first week of December

# Police have launched a manhunt for three suspects following the murder of eleven people at a tavern in Saulsville Hostel in Atteridgeville, in the west of Pretoria. Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says the suspects arrived at a tavern this morning and started shooting randomly. A total of 25 people have been shot; ten died on the scene, and one victim died later in the hospital. She adds three young children aged three and 16 are among those who have been killed:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the brutal killing of Marius van der Merwe, a Brakpan-based security industry member and former Ekhurhuleni Metro Police official who recently testified before the Madlanga Commission. Van der Merwe was shot multiple times in full view of his family outside their Brakpan home last night. President spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says government will redouble it efforts to protect whistleblowers, including witnesses:

Meanwhile, the DA Leader, John Steenhuisen, has added his voice to the condemnation of the cold-blooded assassination of Van der Merwe. He says his murder is an attack on the very foundations of accountability and justice in South Africa. Steenhuisen says this kind of mafia-state behaviour, where whistleblowers are gunned down for telling the truth, is something the country has never before experienced at this scale:

# Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport is calling for heightened vigilance as the province recorded 18 fatalities across the province in the first week of December. The department’s spokesperson, Lesiba Mpya, says current preliminary information indicates that pedestrian deaths remain the highest. He says the department will continue monitoring critical routes and issue updates as part of the Festive Season Road Safety Campaign:

# Israel’s cabinet has approved the 2026 state budget yesterday, including 592-billion-rand for defence, an increase from 457-billion-rand budgeted in an earlier draft. Ministers began a marathon session on Thursday, and Defence Minister Israel Katz’s office announced the rise in the budget for the Israeli Defence Forces yesterday. The budget now heads to parliament for an initial vote and will face an uphill battle for approval as Israel’s government has become increasingly polarized. By law, it must be approved by March, or an election would be triggered.

# Rugby: The Springboks will start next year’s season with an expected blockbuster against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on the fourth of July. This will be part of the inaugural Nations Championship, which will also see the world champions clash with Scotland at Loftus in Pretoria and Wales in Durban. In November, South Africa will play Italy, France, and Ireland in Europe. In between, the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa will include Tests at Ellis Park in Cape Town and the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

Stay tuned for more news………….