News 17:00

BULLETIN 2 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Dirco finalises arrangements for the voting process abroad
# The DA says patients will suffer as Gauteng doctors’ overtime is slashed 
# And rugby: The Sharks are aiming to become the first South African side in a European final

# The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has finalised arrangements for the voting process abroad ahead of South Africa’s election day on May 29. Thousands of registered voters will cast their ballots at 115 diplomatic missions worldwide. Spokesperson Clayson Monyela assures that the Independent Electoral Commission will dispatch voting materials securely using diplomatic airfreight bags, protected by diplomatic immunity in accordance with international conventions.

Meanwhile, the commission reminds voters the deadline to apply for special votes is tomorrow. Applications must be submitted online, via SMS, or at local IEC offices. Over a million special vote applications have been approved. Special voting will occur on 27 and 28 May from 9 AM to 5 PM. Chief electoral official Sy Mamabolo says no late applications will be accepted, urging voters to apply promptly to ensure they can participate in the special voting process:

# The DA in Gauteng says a new system of overtime approvals threatens to cut the overtime of doctors in Gauteng public hospitals by a quarter. The province’s overtime budget has been slashed from 3.45-billion- to 2.65-billion-rand. The DA’s Jack Bloom says according to the MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the overtime changes have been made to address inequalities and irregularities on the approval and management of commuted overtime:

# Rugby: It’s an important weekend for the Sharks in the semifinal of the European Challenge Cup. They will take on French side Clermont in London on Saturday. Victory will propel them into the final on 24 May, to become the first South African side to play in the decider of a European competition. Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am says they are excited about the big game:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-68-cents and the euro at 19-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 58-thousand-478-dollars-36-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-289-dollars-20-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-56-cents a barrel.

# And finally: TIME Magazine has selected the director of Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, Tulio de Oliveira, to be included in its 2024 TIME100 Health list. De Oliveira, was previously recognised on the 2022 TIME100 list, for leading the discovery of the Omicron and Beta variants of Covid-19. He established the Climate Amplified Diseases and Epidemics consortium in 2023, highlighting his ongoing efforts to address diseases exacerbated by climate change.

Stay tuned for more news………….