NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 31 December 1 pm

Good afternoon,

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will receive the first part of the state capture report on Tuesday
# NATJOINTS says it is ready to deliver a safe and secure funeral for Desmond Tutu
# And in cricket, Australia’s Travis Head is set to miss the fourth Ashes Test after testing positive for Covid-19

# Cabinet has confirmed that president Cyril Ramaphosa will receive the first draft of the state capture commission of inquiry report on Tuesday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Commission chairperson acting chief justice Raymond Zondo had revealed that it will not compromise the quality of the report, adding that it would be divided into three parts. The minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says the report will also be made public:

Play sound: ENGMondliGungubele

# The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure says it is satisfied with its plans to deliver a safe and secure Special Official Funeral Category 1 for the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. His funeral will be held at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town tomorrow. The police’s Athlenda Mathe says the NATJOINTS has assessed the state of readiness and preparedness of all stakeholders involved including security plans, route security, and access control to the cathedral:

Play sound: ENG MatheOnFuneral

# Economist Hein Kruger says the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the South African economy are still the major drivers that are tempering economic development. Data published by Statistics South Africa shows the economy grew 5.8-percent in the nine months through September, even though there was a huge upset to the economy in the middle of the year with the July unrest. Kruger says even though recovery might still be held back there are some positive signs:

Play sound: ENG FIN BoostHeinKrugerONEconomy

# Annie Farmer, a woman who was groomed by Ghislaine (Ghe-lane) Maxwell, has welcomed the guilty verdict against her. The longtime associate of serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was convicted on five of the six counts she faced; including the most serious charge of sex trafficking a minor. Farmer, one of four accusers in this case and the only one to testify under her full name, told ABC News that she hopes this verdict demonstrates that no one is above the law:

Play sound: ENG FarmerOnCase

# Cricket: Australian batsman Travis Head will miss the fourth Ashes Test against England in Sydney next week after testing positive for Covid-19. He is asymptomatic and will remain in Melbourne with his partner for seven days as per the Victorian government’s health requirements. Mitchell Marsh, Nic Maddinson, and Josh Inglis have been added to the Australian squad as cover. It is anticipated that Head will be available to play in the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar is trading at 15-rand-89-cents and the euro at 18-rand-1-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-46-cents and Bitcoin trades at 48-thousand-321-dollar-4-cents. Gold is selling at one thousand-817-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 79-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

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