News 17:00

BULLETIN 13 December 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF leader reaffirms their commitment to economic freedom at the national people’s assembly
# The SABS denies corruption and mismanagement allegations
# And cricket: A series victory beckons for the Proteas in Centurion tonight

# The EFF has reaffirmed its commitment to economic freedom, pledging to continue the struggle for land reform. The red berets are hosting their third national people’s assembly, with delegates from all provinces gathering at Nasrec in Johannesburg. In his keynote address, EFF leader Julius Malema said this historic assembly marks a key moment in the movement’s ongoing fight for the economic liberation of the African people:

# The South African Bureau of Standards has rejected allegations of corruption, irregular recruitment, and financial misconduct raised by an anonymous whistleblower in a letter to minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau. The bureau denies claims of exorbitant executive bonuses, labeling them baseless. The SABS has maintained its commitment to whistleblower protection and denies any governance violations. The DA has criticised the SABS’s leadership for fostering a culture of fear, and called for an independent investigation.

# Liquidator Anoosh Rooplal has confirmed that municipalities affected by the VBS Mutual Bank collapse will receive a dividend payout. They are due to get 291-million-rand from a second liquidation dividend of 458-million-rand. The dividends will be paid to a total of fifteen municipalities from North West, Gauteng and Limpopo, which lost nearly 1.5-billion-rand from the collapse. MoneyWeb reports that the payout represents 20-percent of concurrent creditors’ claims. Rooplal further noted that efforts to recover assets continue with potential for further dividends.

# Cricket: A series victory beckons for the Proteas in tonight’s second T20 against Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion. South Africa won Tuesday’s thrilling first encounter in Durban by a mere 11 runs. The third and final match will take the teams to the Bullring at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, where huge scores are the order of the day. Thereafter, the two countries will face off in one-day matches in Paarl, Cape Town and Johannesburg, and Tests in Centurion and at Newlands.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-89-cents and the euro at 18-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-65-cents and Bitcoin trades at 100-thousand-89-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-667-dollars-74-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Gautrain will run a late-night service for Chris Brown’s concerts this weekend, ensuring seamless travel. The American singer will perform at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg tomorrow and Sunday. A shuttle bus will connect Park Station and the stadium. Spokesperson Albi Modise says the last train departs at midnight and standard fares apply. He says the initiative seeks to reduce congestion and promoting public transport for major events in the province:

Stay tuned for more news………….