News Bulletin of 3 December 2025, 1pm

Firefighters from across South Africa came together in Boksburg for the SAESI 2025 Conference & Expo.
The event included the SAESI Challenge, a physical competition designed to test fitness, endurance, and operational readiness through tasks that simulate the demands of firefighting.
Enie Manzini, section manager at Benoni Central Fire Station, completed the challenge in 4 minutes and 57 seconds, despite previous injuries, using it as motivation to stay fit and inspire other women in the profession.
SAESI president Theresa Geldenhuys said the event promotes professional excellence, collaboration, and innovation, helping emergency services strengthen training, leadership, and preparedness for real-world challenges.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour has entered a new chapter after being accepted into the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, the first road cycling event in Africa to achieve this status.
The 2026 race on 8 March will now serve as a qualifier, giving the top 25 percent of riders access to global Gran Fondo events.
Organisers say the upgrade will draw more international participants and strengthen South Africa’s sports tourism.
They add that the tour will continue supporting community development, charity projects and inclusive cycling.

The UK has become the first major economy to end new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, a landmark move in its clean-energy transition.
Under the North Sea Future Plan, small amounts of fossil fuels will still be extracted from existing wells to support the shift to renewable energy.

Environmental campaigners welcomed the decision as a significant step in global climate leadership, while urging the government to do more to ensure workers in the sector are supported during the transition.