News 17:00

BULLETIN 11 December 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF pushes Parliament to probe crime, extortion and law-enforcement capture
# Business confidence index climbs but SACCI warns the gains are not broad-based
# And Rugby: Ardie Savea is named the best player in New Zealand for the third time

# The EFF says Parliament must take a far more active stance in confronting rising crime, extortion networks and claims of interference in law enforcement agencies. The party argues these challenges demand firm legislative oversight instead of relying solely on mechanisms driven by the executive or the judiciary. EFF leader Julius Malema told the media only decisive action by Parliament can restore accountability and protect communities:

# The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry has reported that the country’s business confidence index rose 14.2-points higher than 2024, from 121.1 in September to 132.3 last month. CEO Alan Mukoki says the boost is driven by overseas tourism and global market sentiment rather than widespread local economic improvement. While most sub-indices supported a positive climate and energy costs, lower export volumes weighed negatively. Mukoki cautions despite the rebound, sluggish real economic activity highlights the need for stronger investment and structural reforms.

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services has deployed aerial and ground teams to a fire burning on both sides of the R46 between Artois and Boontjiesrivier. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says updates will be provided as the firefighting operation continues:

# Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has been in hiding for months, says she realises the risks by travelling to Norway to collect her Nobel Peace Prize. She appeared in Oslo in the middle of the night, waving from the balcony of a hotel. The BBC reports it was the first time she has been seen in public since January. The 58-year-old made the covert journey despite a travel ban and a threat from the Venezuelan government that she would be labelled as a fugitive.

# Rugby: All Black loose forward Ardie Savea was named New Zealand’s best player for the third time at the annual awards. This comes after a season in which he won his 100th Test cap. The 32-year-old added a third Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year award to his 2019 and 2023 honours. He also inspired Moana Pasifika to their best Super Rugby campaign. The team is made up of players from various Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-94-cents and the euro at 19-rand-85-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 90-thousand-36-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-212-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….