News 13:00

BULLETIN 10 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Referendum Party condemns government’s use of the repealed 1950 Population Registration Act
# A judge approves the unsealing of records from Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking case
# And cricket: Australian captain Pat Cummins should return for the third Ashes Test

# The Referendum Party says South Africa has become the most race-regulated country in the world. The Department of Employment and Labour has reportedly instructed employers to use the Population Registration Act of 1950, repealed in 1991, to classify employees. Spokesperson Robert King says employers should not be required to classify staff by race, and the instruction is unconstitutional and unacceptable:

# Eskom has welcomed Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s approval of the revised unbundling strategy for the power utility. Under the approved strategy, transmission assets will remain with the National Transmission Company South Africa, which operates as a subsidiary of Eskom Holdings. Government will also begin the legal process to establish a fully independent Transmission System Operator, which will oversee system operation, market operation and central purchasing. Eskom says the strategy will enable more efficient service delivery, greater competition, and enhanced policy and investor certainty.

# Cape Town’s Cape Winelands Airport has appointed WBHO as main contractor for its eight-billion-rand expansion, marking a major step in creating South Africa’s next-generation aviation hub. It will include a new boutique terminal, upgraded runways, enhanced cargo operations, and a modernised general aviation precinct. Spokesperson Deon Cloete says the development could sustain over 100-thousand jobs over 20 years, boosting tourism and investment:

Moving abroad:

# A US federal judge has granted the Justice Department’s request to unseal records from the investigation and criminal prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in luring underage girls for the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The records include grand jury transcripts, financial records, travel documents, and notes from victim interviews obtained during the investigations. Judge Paul Engelmayer says the records will be redacted to protect victims’ identities and other identifiable information.

# Cricket: Pat Cummins is expected to captain Australia in the third Ashes Test against England after missing the first two encounters through injury. Steve Smith led the hosts when they won both the first two Tests by eight wickets. Thirty-two-year-old Cummins sat out since sustaining a lower back injury during the tour of the West Indian Islands in July. Veteran offspinner Nathan Lyon is also expected to play in the third Test, starting in Adelaide next Wednesday, after being dropped for the second match in Brisbane.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-2-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-65-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-549-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-196-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….