News 07:00

BULLETIN 31 December 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An urgent bid is filed to block president Ramaphosa from appointing a new National Director of Public Prosecutions
# Naval contingents are making their way to South Africa for a BRICS naval exercise
# And, the United Arab Emirates withdraws its remaining forces in Yemen

# Lawyer and director of B Xulu and Partners Incorporated, Barnabas Xulu, has filed an urgent application at the Gauteng High Court, to prevent president Cyril Ramaphosa from appointing the new National Director of Public Prosecutions. Current NDPP, Shamila Batohi, retires next month. Xulu’s application centres around the objection to advocate Hermione Cronje’s candidacy. He also wants the court to interdict Ramaphosa pending the outcome of a bid to review and set aside the report and recommendations of the advisory panel tasked with recommending candidates for the position.

# Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has announced intensified and expanded decisive measures to curb deaths, injuries, and illegal practices during the current customary initiation season. This follows the death of 41 initiates in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, and the Western Cape. The department’s spokesperson, Pearl Maseko-Binqose, says law enforcement agencies have made 41 arrests linked to initiation-related offences:

# Naval contingents from Russia, China, and Iran are converging in Cape Town ahead of Exercise Mosi-3, running from 9 to 16 January. Chinese warships have docked in Mombasa en route, while Russian vessels are sailing down Africa’s west coast. Iranian units are also expected. SANDF spokesperson Mpho Mathebula says the exercise focuses on joint action to ensure the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities, amid growing geopolitical scrutiny:

# The United Arab Emirates says it will withdraw its remaining counterterrorism units in Yemen. This is after Saudi Arabia bombed what it said was a weapons shipment for UAE-backed separatists at the port of Mukalla. Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of hazardous actions that threatened its national security. The UAE’s Defence Ministry has denied that the shipment contained weapons and expressed surprise at the strikes. Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government from the capital Sanaa.

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster says the team must address mistakes made in their match against Zimbabwe as they prepare for the Round of 16 in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa will face the runners-up from Group F in the knockout stage. Foster says tightening up defensively will be key. He added that the squad remains focused as they shift attention to the high-stakes encounter ahead:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-59-cents and the euro at 19-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-34-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-227-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-341-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….