News 15:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 3 January 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Police deputy minister raises concern over civil claims of over R600-million
# Motorsport: South Africans win the Dakar Car Prologue to have the first choice of starting position
# And, a Zimbabwean boy survives five days among wild animals in a game park

# Deputy minister of Police Polly Boshielo has raised concern about over 600-million-rand that the ministry has paid out in civil claims for wrongful arrests and detentions. Boshielo advises the police to be cautious and follow correct procedures when they arrest suspects. Police spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba says the lives of the law enforcement officers must, however, not be compromised and officers must exercise the power granted to them by the Constitution:

# The ANC has condemned illegal connections to Johannesburg’s municipal water supply, the unlawful sale of water, and tampering with municipal water valves in Univille, also known as Phumlamqhashi, in Lenasia South. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says this area, originally earmarked for an RDP housing project with communal water taps, has been subject to unlawful settlement, straining the already limited resources and infrastructure:

# Ghana now permits visa-free entry to citizens of all African countries, following president Nana Akufo-Addo’s approval last month. This landmark decision, pledged during the Africa Prosperity Dialogues, aims to strengthen continental ties and boost tourism, trade and travel. Previously, Ghana offered visa-free access to 26 African nations and visas on arrival to 25. Ghana joins Rwanda, Seychelles, Gambia and Benin as the fifth African nation with a continent-wide visa-free policy. Analysts praise the move as a trade and tourism catalyst.

# Motorsport: South African champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Toyota Gazoo Hilux emerged fastest of all from the 2025 Dakar Cars Prologue. They get to choose when they want to start the first stage tomorrow. They beat Swedish Audi defectors, Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist’s Ford Raptor, and Qatari five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and Frenchman Edouard Boulanger in their Dacia Sandrider. South Africans Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Made in SA Century CR7 was fifth. Giniel de Villiers and German Dirk von Zitzewitz finished 21st.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-77-cents and the euro at 19-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-500-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-657-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

# And finally: An eight-year-old boy has been found alive after surviving five days in a game park inhabited by lions and elephants in northern Zimbabwe. Member of Parliament for Mashonaland West, Mutsa Murombedzi posted on X that Tinotenda Pudu wandered 23-kilometres from home into the Matusadona Game Park. She says he used his knowledge of the wild and survival skills to stay alive. Members of the local Nyaminyami community started a search party and beat drums to try and guide him back home. Ultimately, it was park rangers who found him.

Stay tuned for more news………….