News 13:00

BULLETIN 3 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Competition Commission refers eight shipping giants for prosecution
# The DA urges government to secure Lenacapavir access
# And rugby: A disciplinary panel reportedly fails to reach an agreement on Etzebeth’s punishment

# The Competition Commission has referred eight major cargo shipping companies to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution over alleged price-fixing. The firms include Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company, French cargo shipping company CMA CGM Group, Evergreen, and China’s COSCO Shipping Corporation. They are accused of fixing general rate increases on routes linking South Africa with Asia and West Africa. The alleged collusion ran from 2008 to 2018, with identical rate hikes charged on routes including Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, and Durban.

# The DA is urging government to make a deal with the US to secure the HIV prevention medication Lenacapavir. The US government earlier this week announced the donation of only 500 doses each for several African countries, including Zambia, Uganda and Kenya, but excluded South Africa. The DA’s Michele Clarke says this exclusion is a direct consequence of South Africa’s strained diplomatic relationship with the US:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa and Mozambique have strategic and fraternal relations developed during the fight against colonialism and apartheid. He is in Maputo for the fourth South Africa-Mozambique Bi-National Commission. South African exports to Mozambique totalled 19.4-billion-rand last year compared to 18.9-billion-rand in 2023. Ramaphosa says the two countries have signed more than 70 agreements and memoranda of understanding in various sectors, including investments, defence, agriculture, health, and transport:

# Rugby: World Rugby’s disciplinary panel reportedly failed to reach consensus on what punishment Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth should be given. This follows his red card for allegedly eye-gouging flanker Alex Mann in South Africa’s 73–0 demolition of Wales in Cardiff over the weekend. According to reports, the three-person panel requested additional time amid reports of major disagreement over the severity of the sanction. Etzebeth may now only learn his fate on Sunday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-6-cents and the euro at 19-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-62-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-946-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-201-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-97-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The City of Cape Town says it has launched a summer holiday programme to keep children safe and active during the school break. Recreation, Parks and Library teams will run sports, games, coding sessions, movies and reading activities at community facilities. Parents are encouraged to use these services to keep young people away from danger and unsafe environments. The city will also boost beach and pool safety, with the Identikidz system returning to help reunite lost children with their families.

Stay tuned for more news………….