News 16:00

BULLETIN 17 November 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Lamola confirms the preparations for the G20 summit are on track
# Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister is sentenced to death for the student crackdown
# And rugby: The Boks will host England, Scotland and Wales at the start of the new Nations Championship

# International Relations minister Ronald Lamola says preparations are progressing smoothly for this coming weekend’s G20 leader’s summit in Johannesburg. Heads of state from 42 countries are confirmed, including 20 G20 members, and invited guest nations. Lamola says the summit will focus on inclusive growth, resilient economies, and a fair, just future. He emphasises that multiple high-level side events are planned, with minimise disruptions across Gauteng:

South Africa will also host the G20 Social Summit in Ekurhuleni on the Gauteng East Rand this week. Held under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’, the summit will include youth, women, labour, civil society and faith-based groups. The gathering will be co-convened by minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. It will shape a people-centred G20 Social Declaration. Deputy president Paul Mashatile delivers the opening address tomorrow.

# The head of the police’s Serious and Violent Crime unit, Mary Motsepe, has told the Madlanga commission she never received suspended Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s directive disbanding the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team. She says suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya merely informed her a letter existed, but did not provide a copy. Motsepe testified she later learned Mchunu’s argument that the unit was no longer required nor adding value to law enforcement:

News from abroad:

# Ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death following a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. The domestic war crimes court delivered the verdict amid tight security and in Hasina’s absence after she fled to India in August last year. It is the most dramatic legal action against a former leader in decades and comes just months ahead of the parliamentary elections. It is feared the verdict could stoke fresh unrest ahead of the vote.

# Rugby: England, Scotland and Wales will play the Springboks in South Africa in the middle of next year in the inaugural Nations Championship. The competition, touted as a landmark joint venture between the Southern Hemisphere governing body, Sanzaar, and the Six Nations, will be played every second year. It will see the 12 best countries in the world compete against each other in the existing Test windows in July and November. South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Japan and Fidji will represent the south against the Six Nations teams.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-6-cents and the euro at 19-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-49-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-403-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-78-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….