News 07:00

BULLETIN 13 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COSATU calls for accountability after the fatal Redcliffe building collapse
# Shamila Batohi is grilled over an alleged justice block in a teen murder case
# And an expert warns Eskom may resist losing control of the transmission grid

# Cosatu has noted repeated safety failures in the construction sector, after the death of at least two workers when a building collapsed in Redcliffe in KwaZulu-Natal. Three workers remain trapped after the four-storey temple under construction collapsed at midday. Spokesperson Zanele Sabela draws parallels with the 2023 George tragedy in the Western Cape. She urges urgent rescue efforts, thorough investigations, and criminal charges for any wrongdoing:

# At the Nkabinde inquiry, suspended Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke’s lawyer, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, challenged National Director of Public Prosecutions head, Shamila Batohi, over allegations in the murder case of 16-year-old Kwazi Ndlovu. The victim’s family claims evidence was suppressed and the case mishandled. Ngcukaitobi questioned why Batohi did not order an independent investigation and why she highlighted an acquittal while omitting the family’s complaint:

# United Africans Transformation says employers in South Africa are already struggling to find workers with basic literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills. The party warns that maintaining a 30-percent pass mark in schools worsens this skills gap, leaving learners unprepared for the demands of the modern workplace and limiting their future job opportunities. UAT spokesperson Mighty Mabule says the low threshold hides systemic problems in education:

# Energy specialist Professor Anton Eberhard says elements within Eskom oppose spinning off the National Transmission Company into a fully independent operator. Eberhard told MyBroadband that establishing a competitive electricity market depends on separating transmission from Eskom’s dominance. This follows Nersa’s approval of the transmission company as South Africa’s first market operator. He says keeping the transmission company under Eskom creates a conflict of interest. The Electricity Regulation Amendment Act requires full independence by 2029.

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says more than four weeks after Svitlana Hrynchuk and German Galushchenko were dismissed as Energy and Justice ministers, respectively, their replacements have not yet been found. He has also not appointed a new chief of staff after the resignation of Andriy Yermak, who had been at his side since long before the start of the war with Russia. The corruption case at the State Atomic Agency involving 1.7-billion-rand in alleged kickbacks for contracts has caused public outrage and undermined Kyiv’s position in US-brokered peace talks.

# And soccer: Indian supporters are in a frenzy before Argentinian legend Lionel Messi unveils a 21-metre iron statue of himself in Kolkata today. This is part of his tour of four Indian cities, but it will be done virtually for security reasons. The main sculptor, Monty Paul, says the structure was built within 40 days, and describes it as a matter of pride to honour his idol. Thirty-eight-year-old Messi is expected to meet prime minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and former Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly.

Stay tuned for more news………….