News 11:00

BULLETIN 5 December 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa assents the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill
# Flight Centre South Africa is monitoring the strike of South African Airways pilots
# And Amnesty International says Israel’s conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill, which provides for new dispensation in road safety. This includes the fitness of drivers and vehicles, transportation of certain dangerous goods, general speed limit, and the integrity of the issuing of vehicle and driver’s licences. Ramaphosa says the bill amends the National Road Traffic Act and includes fraud as a listed offence for anyone who assists a driving licence applicant in committing an offence. Ten-thousand-154 people have already died on the country’s roads this year.

# Flight Centre South Africa is monitoring the strike by the South African Airways Pilots Association. The association’s initial demand tabled in May was for a 30-percent increase in pilot salaries, subsequently reduced to 15.7-percent plus associated benefits. SAA has offered salary increases of 8.46-percent. Flight Centre’s managing director, Euan McNeil, says while the strike’s duration remains unclear, this development raises significant concerns about potential disruptions during the peak December travel season.

# Education activist Hendrick Makaneta urges the South African Council for Educators to cancel all teaching certificates and initiate a nationwide re-registration process for educators. This comes after revelations that 16-thousand teachers allegedly have criminal records, raising concerns about the safety of learners. Makaneta believes re-registration with background checks would restore public confidence and ensure only qualified, ethical teachers remain in the profession:

# Amnesty International’s new report concludes that Israeli authorities have committed and are still committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza – a charge the Israeli government has vehemently denied. The report details evidence gathered over nine months, outlining instances where Israeli forces have committed three of five acts prohibited under the United Nations Genocide Convention. Amnesty’s secretary-general, Agnès Callamard, says these include the mass killing of Palestinian civilians, and causing serious bodily or mental harm:

# Cricket: England captain Ben Stokes reacted sarcastically to the news the International Cricket Council docked both his team and New Zealand three World Test Championship points over slow over-rates during the first Test in Christchurch. All the players were also fined 15-percent of their match fees. New Zealand and England are now fifth and sixth in the WTC rankings, respectively, behind India, South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka. Stokes pointed out on social media they beat the Black Caps with 10 hours of play left.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-9-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-6-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-956-dollars-36-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-647-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….