News 17:00

BULLETIN 26 February 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Voters can apply for special votes at home or abroad 
# Deputy president Paul Mashatile calls for a solution to the shortage of teachers
# And Soccer: Banyana Banyana faces Tanzania in the second-leg qualifier in Mbombela 

# The Independent Electoral Commission says the official list of 23-thousand-292 voting stations, including mobile units, will be available for inspection from 12 April. Voters can apply for special votes at home or abroad, allowing ailing voters to apply for home visits and absentee voters to cast ballots ahead of election day on 29 May. In his media briefing, chief electoral official Sy Mamabolo reminded voters to vote where they are registered, but says they are allowed to vote in a different district with prior notification:

Meanwhile, a coalition of opposition parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters and the United Democratic Movement, urgently seek a meeting with the IEC to discuss concerns over the election timetable. They are alarmed by the short timeframe for various election-related processes, such as the submission of candidates lists by 8 March. The coalition argues this compressed schedule limits stakeholder participation and could hinder the transparency and inclusivity of the electoral process. They also urged the IEC to ensure the registration requirements for new political parties comply with relevant legislation.

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has highlighted the global teacher shortage’s detrimental impact on the quality and quantity of education for children. Speaking at the International Task Force on Teachers Policy Forum in Sandton, Mashatile advocated for greater involvement of teachers in decision-making processes, encouraged the younger generation to pursue teaching, and emphasised the need for improved remuneration for teachers:

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana has a big advantage over Tanzania in tomorrow’s second-leg Olympic qualifier in Mbombela. South Africa beat Tanzania 3-0 in Friday’s first-leg, keeping their hopes alive of competing in the Games in Paris in July. Banyana player Jermaine Seoposenwe, who scored one of the goals in Dar-es-Salaam, says there is always room for improvement. If South Africa wins tomorrow, they have to face either Cameroon or Nigeria in the final qualifying round. Banyana also played in the 2012 and 2016 Games.

# And finally: Algeria’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has inaugurated Africa’s largest mosque, the Great Mosque of Algiers. Valued at 15-billion-rand, it features the world’s tallest minaret and can accommodate about 120-thousand worshippers. The mosque, ranked third-largest globally, behind Saudi Arabia’s holy sites in Mecca and Medina, is set to host prayers during Ramadan in two weeks’ time.

Stay tuned for more news………….