News 17:00

BULLETIN 14 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC affirms Jacob Zuma’s ballot inclusion
# An energy analyst warns that Eskom is not out of the woods yet despite improvements 
# And tennis: Novak Djokovic’s conqueror advances to the quarterfinals at the Italian Open

# The Electoral Commission says the Constitutional Court’s decision on the IEC and MK Party matter will not affect the ballot paper. The IEC seeks an appeal against an Electoral Court ruling allowing Jacob Zuma on the ballot, despite barring him earlier due to his 15-month prison sentence. The IEC’s decision was overturned by the Electoral Court. Chief electoral official Sy Mamabolo confirmed Zuma’s inclusion as he represents the party:

Meanwhile, Build One South Africa has unveiled a new election billboard in Johannesburg, accusing the ANC of sending criminals to Parliament. The party criticises the ANC’s list of parliamentary candidates, including those implicated in corruption in the Zondo Commission report on state capture. They plan to establish specialised corruption courts and increase penalties for corruption. Speaking at the launch, BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane pledged to send criminals to jail and improve the quality of elected representatives:

# Energy analyst Chris Yelland warns that Eskom is not out of the woods yet despite recent improvements in the energy availability factor. Yelland emphasised that short-term gains do not guarantee sustained progress and cautioned against assuming the crisis is over. While acknowledging a positive trend, he stressed the importance of consistent performance and warned of potential setbacks. Despite a decrease in diesel usage, Yelland insists that ongoing vigilance and effective management are crucial to ensure long-term stability in South Africa’s power supply.

 # Tennis: Alejandro Tabilo of Chile’s dream run at the Italian Open continues. The world number 32 advanced to the quarterfinals in Rome today when he beat 16th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov in straight sets. On Sunday, the 26-year-old Tabilo stunned the world by eliminating world number one and six-time champion, Novak Djokovic of Serbia. In another match in the round of 16, Taylor Fritz of America had to work very hard to beat Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in three sets.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-41-cents and the euro at 19-rand-92-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-856-dollars-1-cent. Gold sells at two-thousand-349-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The HUB Gallery in Cape Town is currently hosting an exhibition titled, 30 Years the Occupants. It brings a collection of photo essays from Matthew Willman’s Mandela Heritage Collection together with a selection of works from the Spier Collection, a contemporary Southern African collection. The exhibition encapsulates three decades of democracy that represent a multiplicity of post-apartheid narratives. The Mandela Heritage Collection features a series of photographs taken over several years that capture Nelson Mandela’s journey and key elements of the struggle.

Stay tuned for more news………….