For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa calls for peaceful resolution to police standoff with illegal miners; South Africa ratings upgrade, employment figures largely a positive; And, US Ambassador to South Africa Brigety says he will resign

Ramaphosa calls for peaceful resolution to police standoff with illegal miners

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the Stilfontein mine as a “crime scene”, as he called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff at the disused mine shaft, where illegal miners are holed up.

The South African Police Service and government departments have been trying, for over a month, to surface the illegal miners from the abandoned North West gold mine.

While more than 1 000 miners have since surfaced and been arrested, it is believed that there are still hundreds of illegal miners in the shaft. Police had closed off the mine’s entrances and stopped supplies of water and food to the miners. However, the Pretoria High Court has since ruled that the shaft be unblocked by police to allow for food and water to reach the miners.

One body has been retrieved from the mine.

Ramaphosa said this operation formed part of government’s nationwide Operation Vala Umgodi crackdown to curb illegal mining activities in the country, which he said cost the economy billions in lost export income, royalties and taxes.

South Africa ratings upgrade, employment figures largely a positive

The upgrade of South Africa’s rating by S&P Global to a positive ratings outlook is largely positive for the country, but employment figures from Gauteng are a source of concern, business organisation Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busiswe Mavuso said today.

She expressed hope that the upgrade is the first of several steps toward regaining the country’s investment-grade credit rating that was lost at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mavuso posits that a ratings improvement does make a material difference.

She said since the elections, yields on key government bonds have improved by about two percentage points, which translates to roughly 20% less in interest government has to pay when issuing new bonds. That is a material improvement in the cost of debt.

Mavuso adds that this means that less of government’s money goes into debt servicing costs and that it also lowers the cost of capital for the whole of the economy.

She cites the small improvement in unemployment figures in the third quarter announced last week, with 294 000 new jobs created reducing the unemployment rate by over a percentage point to 32.1%.

Mavuso points out that stable electricity supply played a role, with the trade and construction sectors particularly strong in adding jobs.

And, US Ambassador to South Africa Brigety says he will resign

Reuben Brigety, the US ambassador to South Africa, said he will resign effective from January 10, in line with procedure after Donald Trump's election victory.

He said this was "in accordance with standard procedure during a change of presidential administration".

Last year, Brigety made headlines when he alleged that weapons were loaded onto a Russian ship between South Africa and Washington.

An investigative panel appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa found no evidence to substantiate Brigety's claims.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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