News 08:00

BULLETIN 3 December 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC Veterans League says any bid to oust president Ramaphosa will fail
# The economist Raymond Parsons says there is a modest economic recovery underway
# And the security is heightened at Senzo Meyiwa’s murder trial

# The ANC Veterans League has rallied behind president Cyril Ramaphosa, emphasising that any attempts to remove him will fail. The Sunday World reported that a growing rebellion is emerging within the ANC ranks to oust Ramaphosa at the party’s national general council next week. However, secretary general Fikile Mbalula has stated that the gathering should not be a place for leadership succession discussions. Speaking to the SABC, ANC Veterans League president, Snuki Zikalala, warned against those pushing for an undemocratic power shift:

# North West University Business School economist, professor Raymond Parsons, says a modest economic recovery is indeed underway, driven by a combination of well-known favourable developments. This comes as South Africa’s gross domestic product expanded by 0.5-percent in the third quarter between July and September, marking the fourth consecutive quarterly increase. Parsons says it is important for the government to keep the economic momentum going at different levels:

# The South African Police Services has heightened security for the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial proceedings taking place at the High Court in Pretoria. Court proceedings were halted on Tuesday, after police received intelligence that a group of individuals attended proceedings with the sole purpose of looking for an opportunity to eliminate the judge, prosecutor, and investigative team. National Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says they are investigating a case of conspiracy to commit murder:

# Russian president Vladimir Putin’s senior aide, Yuri Ushakov, says talks with the US were productive, but no compromise on the peace plan for Ukraine was reached. A meeting between Putin, US envoy Steve Witkoff, and president Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner in Moscow on Tuesday lasted about five hours. Ushakov says the two sides had not come to an agreement on key issues, including the potential lines of territorial control in a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He added that there is still a lot of work ahead.

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana capped off 2025 with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Morocco in an international friendly at Stade D’Agadir. Second-half goals from Nonhlanhla Mthandi and Noxolo Cesane secured the victory for coach Desiree Ellis’ charges. The match is part of preparations for next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, set to be held in Morocco. Banyana Banyana booked their place in WAFCON after beating the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in the second leg of a qualifier in October.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-9-cents and the euro at 19-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-61-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-744-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-224-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….