News 06:00

BULLETIN 26 November 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa hands over the G20 Presidency to the US
# Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala requests a postponement of his ad hoc committee testimony
# And, four more suspects are detained over the Louvre jewel heist

# South Africa has handed over the G20 Presidency to the United States. The low-key handover affair happened at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s headquarters in Pretoria. The US had boycotted the G20 Leaders’ Summit, and wanted to send its embassy chargé d’affaires, a low-level diplomat, to receive the presidency gavel from president Cyril Ramaphosa. The government rejected this request. Dirco says the US will officially assume its G20 presidency on 1 December.

# The DA has condemned the minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, for undermining the Constitution and calling for its amendments to justify his call for corporal punishment. The party’s spokesperson on Correctional Services, Janho Engelbrecht, says this is similar to the EFF and MK agenda of undoing the protections enshrined in the Constitution:

# Tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala has requested a delay in his testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee. Matlala, currently in Kgosi Mampuru C-Max prison in Tshwane, for the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, cited poor prison conditions, health concerns, and insufficient preparation time. The alleged ‘Big Five’ cartel leader faces multiple criminal investigations, including charges of corruption, drug and human trafficking, and contract killings. ActionSA’s Dereleen James dismissed the request as a delaying tactic, citing that Parliament will continue its work.

# The Freedom Front Plus says the City of Ekurhuleni is facing serious financial mismanagement. The party claims the city owes ten-billion-rand to creditors, including five-billion-rand to Eskom and one-billion-rand to Ekurhuleni Water Care Company. Some invoices from 2021 are still unpaid, while newer bills have been paid. FF Plus’s Denise Janse van Rensburg demands full disclosure of all outstanding debts and a clear payment schedule:

# Four more people suspected of involvement in the robbery of the French crown jewels from the Louvre have been detained. The Paris prosecutor’s office told CNN on Tuesday that two men and two women, all from the Paris region, were detained by police as part of the investigation into the heist. One of the suspects is the alleged fourth member of the gang that carried out the heist. The thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s upper floor on October 19 after accessing the gallery with a truck-mounted ladder.

# Rugby: Top of the log Stormers will probably be without up to six of their Springboks when the United Rugby Championship resumes this weekend, but director of rugby John Dobson believes they have enough depth for Saturday’s clash with Munster in Ireland. The hosts are currently second on the log after five games, with both teams undefeated and on 23 points. But the Cape team has a point difference of 118 to Munster’s 36. The Stormers haven’t won at Thomond Park before.  

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-20-cents and the euro at 19-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-64-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-580-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-131-dollars-95-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-84-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….