News 12:00

BULLETIN 25 April 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Casac wants to join the IEC’s Constitutional Court appeal
# A report paints a bleak picture of Cape Town’s escalating extortion landscape 
# And golf: Rory McIlroy could possibly return to the PGA Tour’s policy board

# The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution has applied to the Constitutional Court to be admitted as a friend of the court in the Electoral Commission’s appeal matter. The IEC wants the Electoral Court ruling allowing former president Jacob Zuma to contest a seat in Parliament to be set aside. Casac’s Lawson Naidoo says a consequence of the Electoral Court’s ruling was that despite the ConCourt’s decision in June 2021 to sentence Zuma to 15 months in prison, he was presently not disqualified from seeking election to Parliament.

Meanwhile, former ANC president Thabo Mbeki is campaigning for the ruling party in Soweto, Gauteng, today. The ANC is roping in its heavyweights to bolster its campaign ahead of next month’s general election. Kgalema Motlanthe, David Mabuza, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Baleka Mbete are also expected to campaign for the party. Mbeki is scheduled to do a walkabout in White City in Jabavu and the Jabulani Mall.

# The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime says extortion is growing rapidly and spreading throughout Cape Town, and the groups involved are highly organised. In its latest report, it has focused on four main extortion economies. These are the central business district night-time extortion economy, Cape Town’s construction mafia, the transport and the township enterprise extortion economies. The organisation says once extortion economies become entrenched, they are extremely difficult to deal with.

# Golf: Four-time major winner, Rory McIlroy, says he is willing to make a return to the PGA Tour policy board. He resigned in November last year, citing concerns over the time and energy he had to commit to the role. The Northern Irishman could replace Webb Simpson, who has reportedly offered his resignation and requested the former world number one take his place. McIlroy says he could help accelerate the progress of merger talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-9-cents and the euro at 20-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-88-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-988-dollars-83-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-328-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The City of Cape Town says it has its very own pod of common hippopotamus that has called the Rondevlei section of the False Bay Nature Reserve home since 1981. This small family group of hippos has, over the past four decades, formed a critical and very special part of the wetland ecology. Mayoral committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, says naturally, hippo pods contain approximately ten to 15 animals and comprise of one dominant male, and females with calves:

Stay tuned for more news………….