News 11:00

BULLETIN 2 May 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# NotInMyName wants the IEC to provide details of the meeting with the US ambassador
# Pro-Palestine university protests have spread from the US to the UK
# And golf, Tiger Woods will play in the PGA Championship later this month

# Civil rights movement, #NotInMyName, demands from the Electoral Commission to disclose the minutes of its meeting with US ambassador Reuben Brigety. The IEC’s top officials met with Brigety earlier this week, fuelling concerns that the US could interfere in the country’s 29 May election. The commission says there was nothing sinister about the meeting, as it’s important to take diplomats into their confidence about the country’s readiness for the elections. #NotInMyName says they want to know if the IEC will meet with all countries with diplomatic ties to South Africa.

# Union federation Saftu is calling on government to strengthen the country’s public health system so that it meets the accreditation criteria of the National Health Insurance. Health facilities countrywide have been adversely affected by austerity measures, which have led to vacant posts not being filled and dire funding constraints. Saftu’s spokesperson, Trevor Shaku, says the priority focus should be on primary levels of care from households to clinics, to district hospitals within the district health system:

# Metalworkers union Numsa has accused SA Steel Mills of inhuman treatment of workers, who are on a protected strike. This comes as over 200 workers have been suspended at the company’s Sedibeng-based steel plant in Gauteng. Numsa’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, says SA Steel Mills is trying to force workers to sign an agreement that will reduce the minimum rate to 32-rand, which they won’t accept:

# Pro-Palestinian protests sweeping across universities in America have now spread to the UK. Students in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, and Bristol have set up tents outside university buildings, demanding that institutions boycott companies and individuals with ties to Israel. About 50 students have set up camp at the University of Manchester. Universities UK, which represents 142 institutions, says universities work hard to strike the right balance between ensuring the safety of all students and staff and supporting lawful free speech on campus.

# Golf: Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods says he is ready to play the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, later this month. The 48-year-old still has physical limitations in the wake of a 2021 car crash. Last month he completed the Masters, the fourth time Woods has managed all four rounds of a competitive event since his Masters title defence in November 2020. He says he still hopes to play one tournament a month for the rest of this year.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-23-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-582-dollars-8-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-314-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….