News 09:00

BULLETIN 13 December 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Basic Education Department welcomes the court ruling to publish the matric results
# Donald Trump appears in newly released photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate
# And cricket: The Proteas women and Ireland face off in the first ODI in East London

# The Basic Education Department has welcomed the High Court in Pretoria’s judgement confirming its legal authority to publish National Senior Certificate results in newspapers and accredited media platforms. The ruling clarifies that this long-standing practice does not constitute processing personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act. The department’s Terence Khala says the judgement restores certainty for learners and families:

Meanwhile, the Information Regulator has expressed its disappointment with the court’s ruling retracting a five-million-rand fine against the Department of Basic Education. The notice was issued in 2024 over the DBE’s failure to comply with directives on publishing matric results. The Regulator will study the judgement to determine the next steps. It emphasises the importance of protecting personal information.

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson will visit the construction site this afternoon, where a four-story building collapsed in Redcliffe, north of Durban. The New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Verulam partially collapsed, leaving two people dead and three others still trapped. Public Works and Infrastructure spokesperson James de Villiers says Macpherson will be briefed about the incident and joined by senior officials:

# Congressional Democrats released 19 new images from the estate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including three photos of president Donald Trump. Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that it was no big deal, as Epstein was all over Palm Beach. The Epstein scandal has been a political headache for Trump for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters. Many Trump voters believe Trump administration officials have covered up Epstein’s ties to powerful figures and obscured details surrounding his death.

# Cricket: The three-match one-day series between South Africa and Ireland’s women starts in East London this morning. This follows the Proteas’ clean sweep in the T20s, when they won the first two encounters in Cape Town and Paarl before the final one in Benoni rained out. Today’s match is South Africa’s first in the format since losing to India in the final of the World Cup. The second ODI will be played in Gqeberha on Tuesday and the final one in Johannesburg on Friday.

# And finally: Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape has made history by performing South Africa’s first fully internal limb reconstruction, repairing a severe bone defect and correcting a leg-length difference without using external frames. The 64-year-old patient, a former police officer, had suffered a gunshot injury in 2018 and lived with chronic pain and mobility challenges. The hospital’s Nando Ferreira says the advanced procedure improves comfort, reduces complications, and shortens recovery:

Stay tuned for more news………….