News 08:00

BULLETIN 26 December 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Archbishop Makgoba says corruption has replaced apartheid in the government
# The Health Department welcomes over 700 Christmas babies
# And Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus leads a Christmas morning walk in Blaauwberg

# Anglican archbishop Thabo Makgoba says South Africa has suffered a long colonial history, apartheid, forced removals, and enforced poverty. Delivering his annual Christmas message at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, the archbishop stressed it is unfortunate that nepotism, self-dealing, corruption, and theft from the poor have now replaced apartheid in too many areas of governance:

# The Department of Health has welcomed 714 newborns delivered in public health facilities across the country between midnight and midday on Christmas Day. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says parents are urged to invest in exclusive breastfeeding and child immunisation because this protects babies from preventable deadly diseases and improves survival, especially in the first months of life:

# The Forum for South Africa says the involvement of police officers in criminal activities fuels lawlessness and erodes confidence in law enforcement institutions. Two police officers were arrested for alleged extortion after they reportedly visited taverns in Khambi, Mthata, in the Eastern Cape, demanding their liquor trading licences and also alcohol from tavern owners. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says this conduct represents a gross abuse of power:

# President Donald Trump announced the US launched a deadly strike against the Islamic State group in north-western Nigeria. Trump said on his social media platform that the US military executed numerous perfect strikes against what he called “terrorist scum” , accusing the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”. The US Africa Command, Africom, later reported that yesterday’s attack was carried out in coordination with Nigeria in Sokoto state. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC it was a joint operation targeting terrorists.

# Cricket: The fourth edition of the SA20 series kicks off this evening at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. Defending champions MI Cape Town host Durban’s Super Giants in a blockbuster Boxing Day opener starting at 5:30 pm. Six South African franchises will compete in 34 matches across the country. The opening weekend continues tomorrow with the Pretoria Capitals facing the Joburg Super Kings at Centurion at 1 pm, while Paarl Royals take on Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Boland Park at 5:30 pm.

# And finally: A large festive crowd joined Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on a Christmas morning walk along the Blaauwberg seaboard yesterday, turning an informal idea into a growing community tradition. The six-kilometre coastal walk, which started at six in the morning outside a beachfront restaurant in Blaauwberg Strand, drew hundreds of locals and supporters. Erasmus had this to say about the event:

Stay tuned for more news………….