News 12:00

BULLETIN 20 December 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Justice Department and the NPA strengthen their collaboration on state capture database access
# Gauteng’s Cooperative Governance MEC announces the start of the initiation season
# And rugby: Local teams play in two derbies when the URC resumes after three weeks

# The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the National Prosecuting Authority have agreed to strengthen their collaboration concerning the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption’s required access to information from the state capture commission. In September, the NPA stated that the department had created stumbling blocks in accessing the commission’s evidence database. The department’s spokesperson, Terrence Manase, says the discussions with the NPA have been constructive:

# Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, says the province has started with summer customary initiation season. The provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee has approved a total of 149 customary initiation schools to practice across the five regions. Mamabolo says all customary initiation schools should have completed their curriculum by the 14th of next month. He is also calling on prospective customary initiation school principals to apply for permits to operate in the upcoming winter customary initiation season before the closing date of 31 January.

# Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille is expecting a strong fourth quarter for foreign visitors. The country is experiencing an influx of foreign travellers, with Statistics South Africa noting a nine-percent increase in foreigners visiting the country from October to November. De Lille is pleased that many other destinations, apart from Cape Town, have also gained popularity. Speaking to the SABC, she noted this as a positive sign for growth:

# A United Kingdom appeals court has increased the sentences of two boys believed to be Britain’s youngest knife murderers. The pair, now 13, were convicted in June of killing a stranger in a machete attack when they were just 12. They were later handed life sentences for the killing of 18-year old Shawn Seesahai with the minimum period before they could be considered for parole set at eight-and-a-half years. But the Court of Appeal ruled that the sentences had been unduly lenient and should be increased to 10 years.

# Rugby: The United Rugby Championship season resumes after a three-week hiatus when Ulster hosts Munster in an all-Irish clash tonight. Tomorrow the four South African teams will take on each other in two derbies – the Stormers against the Lions in Cape Town, and the Sharks and the Bulls in Durban. The Bulls are currently third on the log behind Leinster and defending champions Glasgow Warriors. The Lions are fifth, the Sharks sixth and the Stormers 13th after only two victories in six outings.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-29-cents and the euro at 19-rand-1-cent. One British pound costs 22-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-1-dollar. Gold sells at two-thousand-606-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….