News 07:00

NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 18 November 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The government calls on citizens to register to vote this weekend
# The Good party says the crime stats report highlights a deeply scarred South Africa
# And, rugby: The Bulls and the Lions both bend the knee in URC games

# The Government Communication and Information System urges all eligible voters to register for the upcoming national and provincial elections. The Independent Electoral Commission will host its first special voter registration weekend today and tomorrow. South Africans, aged 16-years and older, can register, update details, or verify information at all voting stations from 8 AM to 5 PM. The Department of Home Affairs will assist eligible voters in obtaining identity cards for registration. Government urges citizens to maintain a democratic environment and a peaceful voter registration weekend.

# The GOOD Party says the latest crime statistics highlight the alarming reality in South Africa with almost seven-thousand murders and over 13-thousand sexual assaults in the second quarter alone. Police minister Bheki Cele revealed a slight dip in the murder rate but a 2.1-percent increase in overall violent contact crimes. Despite some improvement, the murder rate rose in five provinces. GOOD’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, says effective crime reduction requires comprehensive solutions beyond increased policing, focusing on social and economic justice:

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# The ANC in the Western Cape welcomes the allocation of 15-year fishing rights to small-scale fishers by minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy. The party notes the distress and marginalisation faced by fishing communities and hopes these granted rights will significantly improve livelihoods within the fishing communities. ANC spokesperson Muhammad Sayed says this initiative seeks to address historical inequities and foster positive change for all beneficiaries from disadvantaged communities:

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# The Law Association of Zambia accused president Hakainde Hichilema of persecuting political rivals and shrinking the democratic space. This statement comes in the wake of the arrest of opposition Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe on espionage charges linked to a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation interview. M’membe claims the arrest is related to his comments on Zimbabwe’s elections. The association expresses concern over the victimization of opposition leaders. It contends the arrests of opposition leaders hinder freedom of speech and may undermine Zambia’s historical record of stable government changes.

# And, rugby: The Bulls lost their top position on the United Rugby Championship league table last night and moved to third place, due to ill-discipline and two men short in their last tour game against the Scottish club, Edinburgh. The captain, Marcell Coetzee, was red-carded in the 42nd minute for a head-high tackle, while Cameron Hanekom was sin-binned for collapsing a maul. Sergeal Petersen was also sin-binned in the last minutes of the match. Edinburgh won 31-23. Ulster moved to the top of the URC league table last night, after beating the Lions 24 -17 in Belfast.

Stay tuned for more news………….