News 11:00

BULLETIN 18 December 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency says Ramaphosa will study the Madlanga commission’s interim report thoroughly
# The Australian prime minister unveils new measures to combat anti-Semitism following the Bondi Beach shooting
# And tennis: South Africa is set to host 14 weeks of the ITF world tour events in 2026

# The Presidency has confirmed president Cyril Ramaphosa has received the Madlanga commission of inquiry’s interim report. The commission, investigating political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, has heard evidence from 37 witnesses over the past three months. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says he will study the interim report while the commission prepares to hear further testimony from new witnesses or persons who have previously testified next year:

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Act has not yet been brought into operation, as its commencement is subject to a presidential proclamation. This is despite Ramaphosa having signed the contentious legislation in March. The act aims to reform the country’s intelligence services, splitting the State Security Agency into separate domestic and foreign intelligence agencies. Ntshavheni says in anticipation of the presidential proclamation, the intelligence services are engaged in preparatory work required to operationalise the act.

# Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile says they are extremely concerned by the spike in crime in the province. Crime statistics for the second quarter, from July to September, show that one-thousand-160 people were murdered in the province. During the period, 114 gang leaders and 116 gang members were arrested. Patekile says the widespread availability of illegal firearms and ammunition remains a major driver of violent crime:

Moving abroad

# Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese says his government is introducing new laws that will target those who spread hate, division and radicalisation. This is in response to Sunday’s Bondi Beach mass shooting, where 15 people were killed on the first day of Hanukkah. Albanese says the new laws will include increased penalties for hate speech and making hate an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment:

# Tennis: South Africa will host 14 weeks of International Tennis Federation world tour events in 2026, comprising seven women’s and seven men’s tournaments across the country. The WIPHOLD International Series will return to Pretoria for a fourth consecutive year, while Mpumalanga will host the inaugural Mbombela Open Global Series. Six weeks of tournaments will be held in Hillcrest, Durban. Tennis SA says the expanded calendar provides local players with the opportunity to compete on home soil, earn valuable ranking points, and gain vital international experience.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-74-cents and the euro at 19-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-39-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-635-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-334-dollars-11-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 59-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….