News 14:00

BULLETIN 17 December 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Redcliffe Temple collapse is declared a crime scene
# Cricket: The Proteas men are under pressure in the penultimate T20 against India
# And a Good Samaritan settles 132-thousand-500-rand in lay-byes at an Eastern Cape PEP Stores

# The Redcliffe temple collapse in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, has been formally declared a crime scene. The collapse led to the deaths of five people. Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson says early assessments reveal serious construction flaws, including misaligned structures, no approved building plans or permits, and signs the building was occupied without certification. He says the site will be handed to the Employment and Labour Department for further investigation:

# Please Call Me inventor Kenneth Makate has rejected arbitration with former legal funder Black Rock Mining, which is claiming 40-percent of his multi-million-rand settlement with Vodacom. Reports estimate the payout at between 353-and-748-million-rand. Black Rock maintains a valid funding agreement was signed with Makate, represented by businessman Christiaan Schoeman. It says the company was to cover all litigation costs in exchange for 40-percent of any eventual award. Makate disputes this, saying the agreement was cancelled, while Black Rock insists arbitration will proceed.

# The mother of a non-verbal autistic teenager has turned to AfriForum’s private prosecution unit after the National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute her husband, a wealthy KwaZulu-Natal private school owner, for years of domestic abuse. The forum’s Barry Bateman says the NPA failed to act despite evidence, including recordings, photographs, and medical reports. He says AfriForum is reviewing the dossier and may pursue private prosecution:

# Cricket: South Africa’s men are under pressure in today’s fourth T20 against India in Lucknow. They are trailing 2-1 in the five-match series and need a victory today to avoid a series defeat. The hosts won the first and the third encounters in Cuttack and Dharamsala, respectively, while the Proteas were victorious in the second one in New Chandigarh. This followed after India clinched the one-day series 2-1. The final T20 will be played in Ahmedabad on Friday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-73-cents and the euro at 19-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-30-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-668-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-320-dollars-34-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-9-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Staff and customers at a PEP Stores in Aberdeen in the Eastern Cape were stunned when an anonymous Good Samaritan, dubbed the Lay-by Buddy, paid off every unpaid lay-by in the store. A total of 260 lay-bys, amounting to 132-thousand-500-rand, were settled, helping families secure school items, baby clothing, and essentials just in time for the festive season. PEP says the initiative has supported 150-thousand families since 2020.

Stay tuned for more news………….