News 18:00

BULLETIN 11 December 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Julius Malema says the EFF will oppose austerity and any regressive taxes in the 2026 budget process
# Hermione Cronje warns she won’t stay if she can’t drive meaningful change at the NPA
# And, Gauteng Education commends the swift detection of the NSC exam breach

# The EFF says it will firmly oppose any austerity measures and regressive taxes in next year’s budget process. Party leader Julius Malema told the media the party will fight against budget cuts, fuel levy increases and any tax proposals that place a heavier burden on poor and working-class families. He adds the EFF will use Parliament to block policies that hinder economic growth or ignore unemployment:

# Former Investigating Directorate head Hermione Cronje says that shortly after leaving the National Prosecuting Authority in 2022, two complaints were filed against her during her time at Open Secrets. One complaint was by forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, and the other by the current National Director of Public Prosecutions head, Shamila Batohi. Cronje says she will not stay at the NPA if she cannot make real changes:

# The Gauteng Department of Education has praised its National Senior Certificate markers for uncovering a breach during marking of multiple exam papers from learners in seven schools in Pretoria. The department’s spokesperson Steve Mabona says preliminary investigations revealed the breach originated within the Department of Basic Education with two officials suspended for allegedly leaking marking guidelines though a USB device. He empasised Gauteng markers’ vigilance to protected exam integrity:

# At least 34 people, mostly patients, have died and dozens more were injured when air strikes by Myanmar’s military hit a hospital. The hospital is located in an area controlled by one of the strongest ethnic armies fighting the country’s military regime, the Arakan Army. Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since the military seized power in a coup in 2021 and triggered a civil war. In recent months, the military has intensified air strikes to take back territory from ethnic armies.

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus weighed into the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sport, saying it would be unfair for women to face biological men in professional tennis. The WTA Tour Gender Participation Policy currently permits transgender women to participate if they have declared their gender as female for at least four years, have lowered testosterone levels and agree to testing procedures. Sabalenka says they still have a huge advantage over women and it’s not fair on women to face basically biological men.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-90-cents and the euro at 19-rand-85-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 90-thousand-102-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-227-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-90-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….