News 07:00

BULLETIN 6 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA is determined to prevent an ANC-EFF coalition from winning
# Hamas is still keen to reach a comprehensive ceasefire
# And the Springboks dominate the South African Sports Awards

# DA leader John Steenhuisen says provincial and national coalition governments between the ANC, the EFF, and their fellow radical populists will set South Africa on fire. He unveiled the party’s latest television advertisement ahead of the 29th May general elections. Steenhuisen says the ad is a symbolic representation of the future that awaits South Africa if citizens keep the ANC in power for another term:

# The South African Council of Churches has called for fair elections, free of violence and intimidation. The council held a National Day of Prayer in Soweto yesterday, ahead of the general elections later this month. Seventy parties and eleven independent candidates will contest the election, with 14-thousand-991 candidates contesting 887 seats in the national and provincial legislatures. The council’s president, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, says the incoming leadership must be characterised by people who love the country.

# The City of Johannesburg and its entities are liable for the deaths of the 77 people in the Usindiso Building fire in Marshalltown last August. This is one of the recommendations of former Constitutional Court judge, Justice Sisi Khampepe’s report into the tragedy. She found that the living conditions at the building contravened multiple by-laws. Khampepe says the city must engage in an independent process to determine who must bear individual responsibility or liability:

# The Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape has set up a joint operations committee in the wake of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The disease was detected on a farm near Humansdorp. FMD is a categorised state-controlled disease because it can inflict substantial economic losses and disrupt agricultural activities. The municipality’s Christa Venter says the committee is putting measures in place to prevent the spread of the disease, including ensuring farms apply good biosecurity.

# Militant group Hamas has accused Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging efforts made through mediators for a potential ceasefire. Netanyahu has rejected the current proposed ceasefire, saying it would keep Hamas in control of Gaza, posing a threat to his country. The militant group says it is still keen to reach a comprehensive, interconnected agreement that ends the aggression, guarantees withdrawal, and achieves a serious prisoner exchange deal.

# Springbok captain Siya Kolisi won Sports Star of the Year and People’s Choice Athlete of the Year at the South African Sports Awards held in the North West. His teammates Eben Etzebeth won Sportsman of the Year and Manie Libbok Newcomer of the Year. Former Bok coach Jacques Nienaber won Coach of the Year, with the Springboks named Team of the Year. Other winners include sailor Kirsten Neuschäfer won Sports Woman of the Year and sprint and long jump athlete Mpumelelo Mhlongo won Sportsman of the Year With a Disability.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-52-cents and the euro at 19-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-106-dollars-31-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-310-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-22-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….