News 13:00

BULLETIN 27 December 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AZAPO calls on all South Africans to reclaim their agency in the 2026 local government elections
# Severe weather warnings are issued for 6 provinces
# And rugby: Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk suffers a fresh injury blow

# As the country prepares for 2026 local government elections, the Azanian People’s Organisation is calling on all South Africans to reclaim their agency and clean the politics, deepen democracy, and heal the economy. AZAPO president, Nelvis Qekema, says South Africans are still facing high crime rates, unemployment, and a lack of service delivery. He says it is about time that citizens’ activism and participatory democracy matured and dealt with the country’s politics:

# The South African Weather Service has issued a number of yellow level 2 and 4 warnings for severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, damaging winds, and hail across six provinces today. This is for the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, North West, Limpopo, and Gauteng, with impacts like localized flooding, infrastructure damage, road closures, and danger to life. Forcaster Leholohonolo Thobela says the public is strongly urged to take weather warnings seriously:

# The Department of Health says the number of teenage mothers has increased on Christmas Day from 90 in 2024 to just over 130 this year. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says this is based on the final and recorded number of babies delivered on Christmas Day across the country in public health facilities. He says it is concerning that numerous teen girls as young as 15 years old were amongst Christmas mothers:

# Eskom says the continued improvement in Energy Availability Factor has significantly reduced its reliance on costly diesel generation, allowing the company to focus more on cost-effective primary energy sources. The power utility spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says no diesel was utilised during the past week, resulting in zero expenditure. She says this lack of consumption reflects both the cost savings and the operational improvements achieved through Eskom’s turnaround efforts:

# Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, according to a joint statement by both countries’ Defense ministers announced early this morning. They said in the statement that, with effect from midday, the two sides agreed to the ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilian objects and infrastructure as well as military objectives. The announcement comes amid peace talks held between the two neighbors after border tensions reignited earlier in December, claiming dozens of lives.

# And rugby: Faf de Klerk’s return to South Africa for treatment after suffering an ankle injury in Japan has further dented his chances of forcing his way back into the Springbok squad. The 34-year-old scrumhalf was injured 32 minutes into Yokohama Canon Eagles’ opening-round defeat to the Shizuoka Blue Revs on 14 December after an attempted tackle. Yokohama confirmed earlier this week that the double World Cup winner has temporarily withdrawn from the Japan Rugby League One season, the third consecutive campaign in which injury has disrupted his involvement.

Stay tuned for more news………….