News 15:00

BULLETIN 13 December 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Nelson Mandela Bay’s deputy mayor is suspended after his court appearance
# Busy traffic is expected on the N3 Toll Route from today
# And Tyla shines at the Billboard Music Awards with two prizes

# Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe has confirmed the suspension of deputy mayor Gary van Niekerk following his appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on cybercrime and financial misconduct charges. Lobishe announced the council’s decision after extensive deliberations. She says Van Niekerk will remain an ordinary councillor as the matter has been referred to Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zolile Williams, for further action:

# Organisations advocating for equitable access to medicines have criticised the Competition Commission for ending its investigation into Vertex Pharmaceuticals over alleged monopoly abuse of cystic fibrosis treatments. Health advocacy groups, including the South African Cystic Fibrosis Association and Section 27, argue the decision leaves most cystic fibrosis patients without access to life-saving treatment, as only those with high-end medical insurance will benefit. The association’s Heinchen Kok demands the probe to be reopened, highlighting unfair pricing and lack of transparency, which worsen health inequalities.

# The N3 Toll Concession says increased traffic conditions are expected to prevail on the route between Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from today until Sunday. Operations manager, Thania Dhoogra, says emergency medical- and advanced life support services have been placed on readiness to respond to emergency events. She says law enforcement services will have zero tolerance for traffic offenders:

# On to sports news: The 2024 National School Sports Championships is taking place in Tshwane from today to Sunday, hosted by the Departments of Basic Education and of Sport, Arts and Culture. The championships will feature eight sports, namely gymnastics, basketball, goalball, tennis, volleyball, rugby, softball, and table tennis, showcasing talent from across South Africa. The departments says the championships foster social cohesion, transformation, and opportunities for learners from disadvantaged areas, while supporting talent identification and sport development in schools.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-89-cents and the euro at 18-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-64-cents and Bitcoin trades at 100-thousand-483-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-666-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South African pop sensation Tyla triumphed at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, winning Top Afrobeats Song and Top Afrobeats Artist. She had been nominated eight times in six categories including Top R-and-B Artist and Top R-and-B Female Artist. Known for representing amapiano, Tyla also won accolades at the SAMAs, Grammys, BET, and MTV EMAs. She thanked her fans for their support:

Stay tuned for more news………….