News 17:00

BULLETIN 21 January 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Statistics South Africa reveals that meat prices have hit the highest levels since 2018
# NUMSA calls for the stricter regulation of scholar transport following the Vanderbijlpark tragedy
# And rugby, the first-ever women’s British and Irish Lions tour will entail five matches in New Zealand in 2027

# Statistics South Africa says meat prices rose by an average of 12.2-percent in the year to November 2025, the highest increase since 2018. Beef, pork, mutton and processed meats recorded sharp increases, with stewing beef up over 30-percent. Stats SA’s head of Price Statistics, Patrick Kelly, says the surge is driven by supply disruptions caused by ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, despite inflation easing to 3.5-percent. He emphasised that this adds pressure to household food budgets:

# Parliament’s Ad hoc committee member Sibonelo Nomvalo sharply confronted former Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s Robert McBride over claims that former Police minister Nathi Mthethwa hired an illegal immigrant as chief of staff. Nomvalo accused McBride of making unfounded and dangerous allegations against Zimbabwean national Leon Mbangwa, noting the matter was settled in court after evidence confirmed citizenship. McBride insisted his claims were based on information available at the time:

# The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa in Sedibeng region has raised serious concerns about road safety following the deaths of 12 learners killed when a scholar transport vehicle collided with a truck in Vanderbijlpark. Three learners remain hospitalised, while the 22-year-old driver has been arrested and will appear in court tomorrow. NUMSA national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola has condemned continuous reckless driving, calling for stricter regulation of scholar transport:

# The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management teams are coordinating recovery efforts after a fire destroyed multiple structures in Masiphumelele. Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, says assessments will begin once the site is deemed safe, and debris will be cleared by the Solid Waste Department. He says Gift of the Givers is providing immediate relief, while displaced residents’ details will be shared with SASSA and relevant government departments:

# Rugby: The first-ever women’s British and Irish Lions tour will entail five matches in New Zealand late next year. This will include three Tests against the Black Ferns, while the other matches will be against a Black Ferns Fifteen and an invitational side. The first Test will take place at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, the second at Sky Stadium in Wellington and the final one at the One NZ Stadium in Christchurch. The other matches will be played in Whangarei and Hamilton.

And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-31-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-799-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-869-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….