News 07:00

BULLETIN 12 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says ANC policies and decisions must be implemented urgently
# AfriForum demands the toughest action over the matric exam fraud
# And cricket: The Proteas level the T20 series against India

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the party must always be led by evidence, principle, and the real needs of citizens, not by slogans, popularity, or convenience. He delivered the closing remarks of the 5th National General Council in Boksburg, Gauteng, on Thursday evening. Ramaphosa says the NGC agreed on the actions needed to make the ANC a more effective instrument of the people to achieve the vision of the Freedom Charter:

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the 2026 local elections will be an important test of the extent to which the party has managed to renew the support and confidence of the electorate. Ramaphosa says to win decisively, the ANC must field the most dedicated, honest, and competent candidates:

# Former Investigating Directorate head, Hermione Cronje, has warned of a severe skills catastrophe at the National Prosecuting Authority. Speaking during her interview for the National Director of Public Prosecutions head position, Cronje said prosecutors are being treated as secondary legal professionals and that the NPA lacks the skills needed to handle complex cases. Cronje said she was shocked by the NPA’s weaknesses when she returned in 2019:

# AfriForum has welcomed Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube’s swift probe into the leak of seven matric examination papers in seven Pretoria schools. The organisation calls for the strictest possible penalties against those responsible. Two officials from the department have since been suspended. AfriForum’s Alana Bailey says such fraud is unacceptable, stressing those who abuse positions of trust must face severe consequences:

# The World Health Organisation has condemned the attack on the Mrauk-U Hospital in Myanmar. At least 34 people were killed, and over 70 were injured after an airstrike by the country’s junta hit the hospital. The hospital is located in Mrauk-U town in Rakhine state, an area controlled by the Arakan Army, one of the strongest ethnic armies fighting the country’s military regime. The WHO says this is the 67th attack on health in Myanmar. From January to late November this year, the junta conducted two-thousand-165 airstrikes.

# Cricket: South Africa defeated India by 51 runs in the second T20 in New Chandigarh to level the five-match series 1-1. Quinton de Kock hit 90 off 46 balls to lead the Proteas to an imposing total of 213 for four in their 20 overs. In reply, Ottneil Baartman led a disciplined bowling attack with a four-wicket haul to bowl India out for 162 with five balls to spare. India won the opening match by 101 runs. The third T20 will be played in Dharamsala on Sunday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-87-cents and the euro at 19-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-193-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-265-dollars-99-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….