News 07:00

BULLETIN 23 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa amends the Special Investigation Unit’s investigation into the SAA
# Minnie Dhlamini repays 50-thousand rand to the National Lotteries Commission
# And Japan prepares to restart the world’s biggest nuclear plant

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has amended a Special Investigating Unit proclamation into South African Airways to include alleged maladministration and unlawful conduct from January 2022 to December this year. The revised proclamation broadens the mandate of the original 2020 investigation. The SIU’s spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, says their mandate has been strengthened to thoroughly investigate any undisclosed or unauthorised interests that board members, vendors, employees, officials, or agents may have had with bidders, suppliers, contractors, investors, shareholders, or their agents or other related parties.

# Media personality Minnie Dhlamini has repaid 50-thousand-rand unlawfully received from the National Lotteries Commission in 2016 via the Mshandukani Foundation. The grant, intended for the Rio Olympic Games roadshow, was misappropriated. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed Dhlamini cooperated fully. He confirms that the repayment forms part of SIU’s broader efforts to recover 24-million-rand of misappropriated public money, which will be returned to the NLC for redistribution to legitimate beneficiaries:

# The City of Johannesburg has confirmed that reports claiming Luthuli House was disconnected from electricity are false. City spokesperson Khathutshelo Mulaudzi emphasised that the ANC headquarters remains fully operational, with all municipal services active and accounts up to date. She says the clarification comes after widespread social media claims suggested otherwise. Mulaudzi says staff and nearby businesses continue to experience normal service, and no disruptions have occurred at the building:

# Japan took the final step to allow the world’s largest nuclear power plant to resume operations with a regional vote yesterday, a watershed moment in the country’s return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Since then, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 that remain operable, as it tries to wean itself off imported fossil fuels.

# Tennis: Australian Nick Kyrgios will compete at next month’s Brisbane International after receiving a wildcard entry. The former Wimbledon finalist is working towards a potential return to the Australian Open. His career has been ravaged by injury over the last couple of years, with only five singles matches in 2025. Kyrgios is now ranked 673rd in the world. In the build-up to the season’s first Grand Slam, he will play in an exhibition event in Melbourne as well as a “battle of the sexes” clash with women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai on December 28.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-70-cents and the euro at 19-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-740-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-469-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-45-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….