News 14:00

BULLETIN 2 November 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ballot delivery delays affect 217 Cape Town voting stations
# The FF Plus will lodge a complaint against the MK Party’s Mngxitama over his farm attack remarks
# And motorsport: Antonelli gets widespread praise after becoming F1’s youngest world champion ever

# The Electoral Commission has confirmed 217 voting stations in the Cape Town metro experienced delays in receiving ballot papers on the first day of special voting. Western Cape chief electoral official Michael Hendrickse says the affected stations could not open at eight o’clock as scheduled, and would only open when the ballots arrive. The IEC attributes the delays to unforeseen printing challenges. Special voting runs today and tomorrow for the elderly and voters unable to vote on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, minister of Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth has urged employers to give workers reasonable time and flexibility to cast their votes. Election day has been declared a public holiday. Department spokesperson Thobeka Magcai says employers are encouraged to adjust shifts, introduce staggered hours, or allow extra time off so employees can travel to their designated voting stations:

# The Freedom Front Plus plans to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission and Parliament’s Ethics Committee over MK Party member Andile Mngxitama’s post on farm attacks. He implied on social media North West farmer Donovan Marx, who was brutally assaulted last week, was a land thief and cutting off his ears was symbolic to denote land thieves’ refusal to listen. The FF Plus’s Heloise Denner says this is blatant hate speech:

Moving abroad:

# Australian police armed with military-style assault rifles have begun high-visibility patrols across Sydney following last December’s deadly terrorist attack at Bondi Beach. The new Armed Response Command is the first permanent unit of its kind in the country. It will patrol major events, crowded public spaces, sporting venues and places of worship. The unit has 250 officers and is backed by about one-billion-rand. The Bondi attack, targeting a Jewish celebration, killed 15 people. Amnesty International Australia says the patrols raised concerns about the increasing militarisation of law enforcement and human rights safeguards.

# Motorsport: Mercedes’ Italian driver, Kimi Antonelli, has received widespread praise after becoming Formula One’s youngest world champion at the age of 20 years and 68 days. He clinched this season’s drivers’ championship when he finished third in the Mexican Grand Prix – four races before the end of the season. Multiple champions Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, who shared the podium with him in Mexico City, described his achievement as impressive. Antonelli’s father, Marco, says his son gave Mercedes the best thank you for believing in him.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-62-cents and the euro at 18-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-30-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-883-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-896-dollars-92-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 112-dollars-91-sents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….