News 17:00

BULLETIN 5 January 5 pm

In this bulletin:

Good afternoon. I am……..

# Justice Dikgang Moseneke joins the International Court of Justice bench hearing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

# The inquest into deaths of Cradock Four has been re-opened

# And, cricket: A relieved Warner is reunited with his missing baggy greens

# South Africa has nominated former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke as its representative judge to the International Court of Justice. This comes ahead of the hearing against Israel scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Senior counsel, Adila Hassim, will lead a team of South African lawyers presenting a 15-minute oral argument for the Presidency. Other senior counsels, include John Dugard, Max du Plessis, and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi. On Friday, British lawyer and academic, King’s Counsel Malcolm Shaw, will argue on behalf of Israel.

# Justice and Correctional Services minister Ronald Lamola has approved the re-opening of the Cradock Four inquest, acting on the National Prosecuting Authority’s recommendation. The inquest into the deaths of anti-apartheid activists Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto, Fort Calata, and Sicelo Mhlauli is set to be reinvestigated after inconsistencies in previous inquiries. New evidence, including amnesty applications from security police officers, will now be considered. The move aims to bring closure to the families and restore confidence in the justice system.

# Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, is inviting the public to submit inputs on the draft Integrated Resource Plan published in the Government Gazette by the 23rd of next month. Public comments on assumptions, input parameters, and scenarios are sought to influence the final policy-adjusted plan, shaping the country’s future energy mix. The department’s Ernest Mulibana says the draft addresses short-term capacity constraints up to 2030 and envisions a resilient net-zero electricity sector by 2050:

# Cricket: Australia’s opening batter, David Warner, is elated after his missing Test caps were returned to him. He received the good news while playing in his final Test, against Pakistan in Sydney. The caps disappeared from his luggage during a flight from Melbourne to Sydney earlier this week. Warner made a plea on social media, leading to the discovery of the bag containing the caps and other belongings in the team hotel. The baggy green caps are revered by Australian players, who wear the same caps throughout their careers.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-81-cents and the euro at 20-rand-54-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 43-thousand-899-dollars-57-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-40-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-12-cents a barrel.

# And, the late legendary playwright Mbongeni Ngema was honoured during his funeral service in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal today. Nhlanhla Ngema, the brother of the deceased musical icon, expressed gratitude for the gift of Mbongeni’s presence in the lives of family, friends, and colleagues. He emphasised that Mbongeni’s legacy would endure through the melodies of his songs and the narratives he shared with the world. Nhlanhla called on South Africans to celebrate the moments and lessons imparted by his brother, ensuring that his legacy lives on:

Stay tuned for more news………….