News 07:00

BULLETIN 10 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Gwede Mantashe says he will not be available for a leadership position at the 2027 ANC elective conference
# Public servants back Ramaphosa’s call to end the outsourcing of basic government functions
# And cricket: India win the T20 series opener against South Africa

# ANC chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, has cautioned against premature discussions on president Cyril Ramaphosa’s successor before 2027, when his term as party president ends. Deputy president Paul Mashatile and secretary-general Fikile Mbalula have been widely mentioned as potential contenders. Speaking on the sidelines of the National General Council in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, on Tuesday, Mantashe said he will not make himself available for leadership nominations at the ANC’s 2027 national elective conference:

# Transport minister Barbara Creecy says ongoing reforms are reducing logistics costs and making South Africa’s economy more competitive. Speaking ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, taking place in January, Creecy highlighted tangible progress, including moving 174-million-tons of freight on Transnet and faster port turnaround times. Creecy said visible delivery is South Africa’s currency of credibility, noting economic reforms and improved logistics:

# The Public Servants Association supports president Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to end the outsourcing of basic government functions. The union says returning tasks like cleaning, security, catering, and administration to government control will improve efficiency, boost accountability, and create secure, fair-paying jobs. The association’s Claude Naiker says outsourcing has long been linked to higher costs, service duplication, and corruption.

# The Special Investigating Unit has been granted a preservation order to freeze a luxury property and a vehicle linked to an Eskom employee and his family in Bendor, Polokwane. This relates to an investigation of an alleged bribery and corruption scheme. It is alleged that Eskom surveyor and project manager Johannes Seroke Mfalapitsa and his family received about eight-million-rand in payments from companies unlawfully favoured in a 54-million-rand tender. The SIU says Mfalapitsa occupied multiple conflicting roles in the tender process, in direct violation of Eskom’s conflict of interest policy.

# US president Donald Trump has criticised European leaders, describing them as weak, and saying they are struggling with migration pressures and ending Ukraine’s war with Russia. His comments follow the release of a new US national security strategy that accused Europe of being over-regulated, suffering from declining self-confidence and experiencing civilisational erasure due to immigration. In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, Trump says all he wants to see is a strong Europe:

# Cricket: India defeated South Africa by 101 runs in the first T20 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Hardik Pandya scored an unbeaten 59 as the hosts posted 175 for six in their 20 overs. Lungi Ngidi claimed three wickets. In reply, Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets to become the second Indian to reach 100 wickets, as the Proteas were restricted to 74, their lowest total in T20s. The second match will be played in Chandigarh on Thursday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-4-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-152-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-216-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….