News 07:00

BULLETIN 30 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent Sydney Mufamadi to engage with Mozambican leaders amid the neighbouring country’s growing unrest
# POPCRU is concerned about the increasing number of killings and suicides of police members
# And cricket: Kagiso Rabada’s batting heroics lead South Africa to a 2-wicket victory and into the World Test Championship

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent professor Sydney Mufamadi, South Africa’s national security advisor, as a special envoy to engage with Mozambique leaders amid the neighbouring country’s growing unrest. Natjoints Tebello Mosikili says government remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of its citizens and upholding regional stability. She says government urges its citizens to remain calm and to refrain from spreading unverified information that may lead to unnecessary panic:

# The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is deeply alarmed and saddened by the increasing number of killings and suicides among law enforcement officials. This follows after police sergeant Mandla Buthelezi was arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend, crime prevention warden Chesnay Keppler, in Eldorado Park, Gauteng. Popcru’s Richard Mamabolo says the suicides among law enforcement officials are also a heartbreaking and urgent crisis that cannot be ignored any longer:

Former US president Jimmy Carter has died. Carter served as 39th president for one term and was the only former US president to reach 100. US president Joe Biden describes Carter as a man of principle, faith and humility, while president-elect Donald Trump says Americans owe Carter a debt of gratitude. Carter was a peanut farmer and US Navy lieutenant before going into politics, eventually serving one term as governor of Georgia and as president of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

# Cricket: Kagiso Rabada produced one of the best performances of his career, by hammering South Africa to an astonishing and tense two-wicket victory in the first test against Pakistan in Centurion on Sunday. He smashed an unbeaten 31 from just 26 balls during a match winning, unbroken ninth wicket stand of 51 with fellow fast bowler Marco Jansen. The victory ensured the Proteas’ place in the final of the World Test Championship which takes place at Lord’s in June next year. The second test begins at Newlands in Cape Town on 3 January.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-66-cents and the euro at 19-rand-44-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-46-cents and Bitcoin trades at 93-thousand-592-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-627-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-73-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The year ended on a high for a Lotto player who won the Lotto Plus One jackpot of 40-million-rand this weekend. Operator Ithuba says the player matched six numbers in Saturday’s draw, while no-one won the Lotto or Lotto Plus Two jackpots. This means the Lotto draw rolls over to 32-million-rand on Wednesday, and Plus Two to three-million-rand. Tuesday’s PowerBall jackpot is estimated at 55-million-rand, and the PowerBall Plus at 16-million-rand.

Stay tuned for more news………….