News 15:00

BULLETIN 24 December 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# One suspect appears in court for the murder of DJ Warras, and claims police assault
# The Saulsville tavern mass shooting case is postponed, with the media barred from broadcast proceedings
# And, a defence analyst says Russia could easily return the 17 stranded South Africans

# The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court has postponed the murder case of Victor Majola, one of two suspects in the assassination of media personality Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock, to 6 January 2026. Majola, arrested at a Soweto hostel, faces murder and premeditated murder charges and is a first-time offender. The postponement allows for urgent address verification ahead of a bail application. The defence claimed Majola required medical attention after an alleged police assault. DJ Warras was assassinated last week outside Zambezi hijacked building in Johannesburg CBD. His private cremation is happening today.

#The Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court in Pretoria has postponed the murder case against a 32-year-old man linked to the Saulsville tavern mass shooting to next Wednesday. He is alleged to be one of three gunmen who killed 12 people and injured 13 others at an unlicensed tavern earlier this month. The suspect was arrested while travelling from Gauteng to Limpopo and first appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The media was barred from broadcasting the case as no identity parade has been conducted yet.

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s fire services says that two of the three fires reported late yesterday have been contained. Fires in Wemmershoek, Paardeberg and Drakenstein, were successfully controlled with no damage to property or farmland. Kwaggaskloof in Breede Valley was also contained after aerial and ground teams assisted. The municipality’s spokesperson Jo-anne Otto says firefighters remain on alert in the area:

# The defence analyst, Ricardo Teixeira says Russia could easily repatriate 17 South Africans stranded in the Ukraine war zone but has chosen not to. According to News24, delays are linked to financial demands by military contractors allegedly seeking refunds from the MK Party. Speaking to SABC News, Teixeira says the matter exposes extortion and deep corruption within the Russian military, questioning claims that Russia is a reliable ally:

# Rugby: The Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans has paid tribute to Siya Kolisi’s influence, while emphasising the importance of continuity and growth within the squad. Kolisie will leave the franchise at the conclusion of the current season to take up an opportunity with the Stormers. Bryans said the Springbok captain’s time in Durban has been defined by leadership, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to the game. He added Kolisi has been an outstanding ambassador for the Sharks and has played a meaningful role in shaping the culture of the squad.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-64-cents and the euro at 19-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-48-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-160-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-484-dollars-35-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….