News 12:00

BULLETIN 16 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# GIWUSA demands the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into events at Stilfontein
# A SACCI survey highlights trade challenges and optimism
# And Roadrunning: South Africa’s Gerda Steyn aims to retain her Comrades and Two Oceans titles

# The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa is demanding the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate what it describes as the Stilfontein massacre in the North West. On Wednesday, 78 bodies of illegal miners were retrieved from Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, and 140 were arrested, increasing the number of arrests since Monday to 246. Giwusa’s president, Mametlwe Sebei, says there needs to be accountability:

# The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s December 2024 Trade Conditions Survey has revealed that trade expectations remain positive despite current challenges. The report indicates that while 40-percent of respondents saw better conditions than in December 2023, only 35-percent reported positive trade activity. Future trade prospects improved, with 65-percent optimistic about the next six months. In addition, input costs eased, but logistical issues and economic performance hindered progress. Meanwhile, employment in the trade sector remains steady, with 57-percent of respondents planning to hire more staff.

# Johannesburg Tourism has launched its latest Tourism Ambassador Programme, which has seen the deployment of 227 young people to sites and attractions across the metro. The programme aims to make Johannesburg a safer and more navigable destination for visitors while bolstering tourism awareness and information services. Johannesburg Tourism CEO, Thandubuhle Mgudlwa, says the programme is designed to enhance safety awareness at tourism hotspots, reduce crime incidents targeting visitors, and equip unemployed youth with practical skills and work experience.

# Germany’s Defence ministry is suspending activities on social media platform X, which is accused of enabling the spread of disinformation under its owner Elon Musk. The ministry said it will no longer post proactively on the channel for the foreseeable future, justifying the move by saying that the fact-based exchange of arguments is becoming increasingly difficult on the platform. The ministry is the latest of a host of public institutions in Germany to announce they will suspend activity on the platform formerly known as Twitter or leave it altogether.

# Roadrunning: One of South Africa’s most versatile road runners, Gerda Steyn, says she still has ambitions to reclaim the national standard marathon record. She was unveiled as a member of the Hollywood Athletics Club in Durban on Wednesday. Steyn says however her main goal this year would be to retain her titles at Comrades and Two Oceans, races in which she already holds the women’s records:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-80-cents and the euro at 19-rand-35-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-95-cents and Bitcoin trades at 99-thousand-701-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-701-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-93-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….