News 14:00

BULLETIN 10 December 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# MultiChoice delists from the JSE and A2X after the Canal+ takeover
# TLU SA says foot-and-mouth disease creates an unmanageable situation for farmers
# And soccer: The verdict on Cardiff City and Nantes’ dispute over Sala will be announced in March

# MultiChoice is officially delisting from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and A2X today. The move follows a compulsory acquisition by French media giant Canal-plus, which has secured all remaining shares after a two-year takeover bid. Canal-plus completed payment for all shares on Friday last week, in line with the Companies Act. Regulatory approvals have been granted by the JSE, A2X and the Reserve Bank. Despite the delisting, Canal-plus plans a secondary inward JSE listing within nine months.

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says government will implement immediate municipal reforms once the current term ends, instead of waiting until 2031. He was speaking to SABC News during the handover of ward delimitations to the Electoral Commission in Pretoria. Hlabisa said urgent changes are needed to address declining municipal performance. He confirmed priority in professionalising local government:

# 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Department of Employment and Labour has reportedly instructed employers to use the Population Registration Act of 1950, repealed in 1991, to classify employees.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:

# Agricultural organisation TLU SA says the countrywide outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, especially in parts of the Free State, is placing increasing pressure on farms. Spokesperson Bertus van der Westhuizen says farms within the ten-kilometre quarantine zones are being brought to a standstill because no livestock may be moved until the area is declared disease-free. He says TLU has made a serious appeal to the Agriculture Department to consider a workable temporary solution.

# Soccer: A commercial court in Nantes, France, will announce its decision on 30 March in the dispute between Cardiff City and French club Nantes, over Emiliano Sala’s 2019 death. The Argentine striker died when the light aircraft taking him to Cardiff crashed into the English Channel two days after his transfer. Cardiff claims Nantes, via agent Willie McKay, organised the flight, and seeks over 2.3-billion-rand in compensation. Nantes denies liability and disputes the claim.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-1-cent and the euro at 19-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-64-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-950-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-194-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….