News 08:00

BULLETIN 10 December 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the Freedom Charter has shaped South Africa’s democratic order
# The DA says the SANDF is in full force decline
# And Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is ready for elections

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Freedom Charter’s enduring vision of a free and democratic society continues to inspire and guide South Africa’s struggle. He delivered the keynote address at the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter’s adoption in Boksburg, Gauteng, yesterday evening. The charter was adopted on the 26th of June 1955 in Kliptown. Ramaphosa says those who claim the Freedom Charter has not been implemented are lying:

# The DA is calling for the full implementation of the 2015 Defence Review, which calls for sustained and layered military health support. This follows reports that only 27-percent of the South African National Defence Force is healthy enough to deploy, while the health status of 36-percent of soldiers remains unknown. The DA’s Chris Hattingh says commanders have failed to enforce mandatory health assessments, and budget constraints mean the SANDF cannot even fully fund its 70-thousand-strong force:

# The IFP’s National Executive Committee says the intimidation and murder of whistleblowers erodes public trust and threatens the very foundations of accountability. This comes after Marius van der Merwe, who testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry last month, was shot dead outside his Brakpan home on Friday. The IFP NEC urges the commission to remain resolute and unshaken by attempts to undermine its work. It adds that it fully supports the commission and all individuals who come forward in defence of transparency and justice.

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready to hold elections in the next 60 to 90 days if parliament and foreign allies can guarantee security for the vote. This comes after US president Donald Trump stated that he believed the Ukrainian leadership was using war as an excuse not to hold an election. Zelensky’s five-year term expired in May last year, but the Ukrainian constitution prohibits elections in wartime. He has vowed to explore all avenues for holding a vote in the coming months. 

# Golf: South African Shaun Norris says he is relishing the opportunity to try and defend his Alfred Dunhill Championship title he won at Leopard Creek last year. The premier Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament returns to Johannesburg this week for the first time in two decades. Former champions Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal are part of a strong field chasing glory at Royal Johannesburg. Norris says the golf course is very demanding:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-3-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-476-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-211-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-85-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….