News 16:00

BULLETIN 9  January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Israeli president describes genocide accusations as absurd and unfounded
# Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the Koeberg power station Unit One is on full load
# And Cricket: Newlands pitch is rated as unsatisfactory

# Israeli president Isaac Herzog strongly condemns the lawsuit in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide during its Gaza offensive. He deems the claim atrocious and outrageous. The offensive, triggered by a Hamas rampage, has led to a humanitarian catastrophe, with Israel blaming Hamas for operating among civilians. The case, initiated by the South African government, focuses on civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict. Herzog accuses South Africa of hypocrisy, stating Israel’s commitment to self-defence under international humanitarian law:

# Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the Koeberg nuclear power station in Cape Town’s Unit One is on full load after passing its rejection test, and will produce electricity for the next 20 years. Ramokgopa updated the nation on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan. The unit was successfully synchronised to the grid in November after undergoing long-term maintenance and steam generator replacement. Ramokgopa says South Africa’s only nuclear power station has a capacity of one-thousand-860 megawatts, approximately five percent of electricity generated by Eskom:

# It would cost half-a-billion-rand to rebuild the popular Shelley Point Hotel and Spa at St Helena Bay on the West Coast after it was gutted by a fire a week ago. The main shareholder of the Lone Bull Group which owns the property, Gert Joubert, says they haven’t decided whether it will indeed be rebuilt. He says it would be impossible to replace the 30 model ships and Persian carpets in every room. Joubert says they are helping the 130 employees to get other jobs.

# Woolworths Food has moved to reassure its customers that both cash and card payments will continue to be accepted despite the recent announcement by W Café. The café, a subsidiary of Woolworths, had declared that it would no longer accept cash payments starting next week, citing safety concerns for customers and staff. However, the parent company, Woolworths Food, has clarified that this policy change applies specifically to the café and not to the broader Woolworths Food outlets.

# Cricket: The International Cricket Council rated the pitch for the second Test between South Africa and India at Newlands in Cape Town as “unsatisfactory”. The encounter last less than two days. Match referee Chris Broad submitted his report after consulting with captains Dean Elgar and Rohit Sharma, both of whom felt the pitch was below standard. The stadium has received one demerit point. Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period and if a venue accumulates six demerit points, it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months.

Stay tuned for more news………….