News 08:00

BULLETIN 22 December 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An Eastern Cape crash claims eleven lives
# The ANC condemns the latest GBV incidents in KwaZulu-Natal
# And, the last print editions of Rapport and City Press have been published today

# Eleven people have lost their lives, and three others were injured in a head-on collision near Dutywa in the Eastern Cape. The accident, involving a minibus taxi and a bakkie, was confirmed by the Eastern Cape Transport Department. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Authorities have urged road users to exercise caution during the holiday season. Emergency services are attending to the scene.

# The ANC has strongly condemned gender-based violence following two separate murder-suicides in KwaZulu-Natal. Sbusiso Lawrence fatally stabbed his girlfriend and left her body in the road before taking his own life. In addition at 24-year-old man killed his girlfriend and their three-year-old child on Friday and hanged himself. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said these tragedies underscore the persistent crisis of violence against women:

# Civil rights organisation AfriForum claims that sections 4 and 5 of the BELA Act cannot be implemented immediately, as Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube must first establish norms and standards. AfriForum’s CEO, Kallie Kriel says this delay aligns with agreements at Nedlac, ensuring Afrikaans schools maintain language policies based on local needs. He emphasised AfriForum and Solidarity’s mission to challenge premature enforcement in court:

# Pope Francis has condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as “cruelty”, a day after the territory’s rescue agency said an Israeli air strike killed seven children from one family. Gaza’s civil defence rescue agency reported that an Israeli air strike killed ten members of a family on Friday in the northern part of the territory, including seven children. Violence in the Gaza Strip continues more than 14 months into the Israel-Hamas war, even as international mediators work to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants.

# Boxing: Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defeated Britain’s Tyson Fury in a unanimous points decision to retain his unified heavyweight world titles in their rematch in Saudi Arabia. After inflicting a first career loss on Fury by split decision in May, Usyk’s will to win prevailed again and he remains the WBA Super, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion. The 36-year old Fury impressed in the first half of the fight, but Usyk’s volume of cleaner punches gave him the upper hand. All three judges scored it 116-112 to the 37-year-old champion.

# And finally: Today sees the end of an era for two legendary brands in the news business. Both City Press and Rapport have their final print editions today and will become fully digital products. The follows Media24’s decision to end the print editions of the Sunday newspapers as well as Beeld and Daily Sun. The company announced earlier this year that this is part of their expansion of digital news products.

Stay tuned for more news………….