News 16:00

BULLETIN 10 January 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# N-U-M announces the immediate return to work at the Bafokeng platinum mine 
# Norway approves deep sea mining in the Arctic Ocean
# And Cricket: Sunrisers Eastern Cape begin their title defence against the Joburg Super Kings 

# The National Union of Mineworkers has called on workers at the Impala Bafokeng platinum mine in Rustenburg in North West to promptly resume work. Following successful engagements, NUM and the company agreed to uplift suspensions for 38 employees involved in an illegal sit-in, providing final written warnings. The resolution also includes the payment of the 2022 employee share ownership plans scheme allocations, along with interest, early next month. The union says workers failing to return immediately will not be protected.

Meanwhile, the minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi has expressed concern over the dangerous trend of holding worker’s hostage underground through sit-ins in mines in the country, which can lead to fatalities. Nxesi called on leadership to prevail from all parties to engage workers and provide a solution, based on facts and not allow opportunism with increased misinformation, with a potential to mislead employees and cause violence. Nxesi says all parties should follow prescribed processes provided by law, to find each other in disputes that arise.

# The Norwegian Parliament has approved commercial plans to open the Arctic Ocean to seabed mineral exploration. The bill, passed with an 80-20 majority, paves the way for the exploration of an expansive 280-thousand square kilometers of the Arctic seabed, an area larger than the entire UK. Norway asserts that the move is to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels. The decision has drawn criticism from the European Union and the UK, both calling for a temporary ban due to concerns about potential environmental impacts.

# Cricket: St George’s Park in Gqeberha will host the much-anticipated SA20 season two opener this evening. Defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape will get an early test of their credentials when they face Joburg Super Kings. The match promises to be an exhilarating encounter, with both teams possessing an abundance of stars that should provide some exciting match-ups. Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram, who will again lead the Sunrisers, says he is excited:

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-62-cents and the euro at 20-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-71-cents and Bitcoin trades at 45-thousand-205-dollars-84-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-35-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Renowned chef Pieter Malan is gearing up to represent South Africa at the prestigious I-K-A Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany. With a reputation for infusing unique African flavours and innovative cooking techniques, he has qualified as an individual competitor in the Culinary Art category. Currently serving as the group executive chef for the Fiesta Hotel Group in Ghana, Malan’s culinary prowess earned him the honour of Most Admired Executive Chef at the Hospitality Awards Africa last year. Malan expressed his excitement at being part of this competition:

Stay tuned for more news………….