News 08:00

BULLETIN 31 October 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa reiterates his confidence in the ANC doing well in the elections
# DA is hoping to translate its extensive election campaign into votes
# And, Christa Pike says she is in constant physical pain since her botched execution

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated his confidence that the party will do well in the local government elections. The party’s support has fallen from 65-percent in the 2006 municipal elections to 40.2-percent in the 2024 national elections. Projections suggest the ANC could lose at least six percentage points from its 2024 results, falling into the mid-30s. Conducting a door-to-door campaign in Mabopane outside Pretoria yesterday, Ramaphosa says they will be campaigning hard this weekend:

Meanwhile, the DA says it is ready for the local government elections and is hoping to translate its extensive campaign into votes. Recent opinion polls show the party in a close race with the ANC. Internal and public tracking place the DA at roughly 28.4-percent to 35-percent nationally, just 1.2 percentage points behind the ANC. DA Federal chairperson Solly Msimanga says they have strengthened their structures on the ground and have mayoral candidates across the country who are ready to make a change:

# AgriSA says South Africa’s agricultural sector recorded a trade surplus of about 36-billion-rand between April and June this year. This is an increase of 11.6-percent compared to the same period last year. Agricultural exports were worth around 69-billion-rand, while imports totalled 33-billion-rand. Fruit and other horticultural products made up more than half of exports. However, the sector continues to face challenges, including the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, limited access to some export markets and poor port and rail performance.

# The City of Johannesburg urges residents and businesses to prepare for possible El Niño-related weather conditions during the 2026/2027 summer. The city warns hotter and drier conditions could put pressure on water supplies, while severe thunderstorms, strong winds and flash floods are also possible. Through its El Niño-ready Joburg campaign, residents are encouraged to save water, repair leaks and follow official weather warnings. Early preparation and responsible water use will help reduce the impact of possible summer risks.

# US death row inmate Christa Pike says she was prepared to die by execution, but instead woke up alone in a hospital, confused and in pain. In September, the 50-year-old survived two lethal injections of the drug pentobarbital, which left her in a critical condition in Tennessee. In her first statement since the botched execution, Pike says her entire body hurts, and she is still struggling to speak. She added that she is deeply hurt by the incompetence that has put so many people in this terrible position.

# Rugby: The Glasgow Warriors have moved to the top of the United Rugby Championship after extending their unbeaten run to six games with a 29-20 bonus-point victory over the Lions in Scotland. The hosts, who were missing eleven players due to Scotland duty, led 19-3 at halftime. This was the Lions’ third consecutive away defeat in the tournament. Meanwhile, defending champions Leinster dominated their Irish rivals Connacht, beating them 50-5 in Galway, Ireland. The URC pauses in November for the Nations Championship. 

Stay tuned for more news………….