News 17:00

BULLETIN 17 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa is set to achieve its first primary budget surplus in 15 years 
# Action Society condemns police’s failure to release the crime statistics 
# And swimming: A Canadian teenager breaks her own world record during the Olympic trials 

# South Africa is set to achieve its first primary budget surplus in 15 years, recording a surplus of 0.4-percent of gross domestic product in the year through March. This positive development aims to curb further debt growth in the economy. Investors and analysts view this as a potential step toward debt stabilisation, although sustained progress is necessary for lasting impact. Treasury plans to unveil final metrics in the October budget policy statement, influenced by upcoming GDP data.

# Action Society criticises the South African Police Service for failing to release recent crime statistics, despite promises. They accuse minister of Police Bheki Cele of prioritising the ANC over citizen safety. The cancellation of the stats release is seen as a betrayal to citizens, reflecting the collapse of police independence. Action Society’s Juanita du Preez believes crime is vastly underreported due to public mistrust in the police and the justice system:

# The rescue and recovery operation at the collapsed building under construction in George has concluded. Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, says the operation involved over one-thousand workers and lasted 260-hours. More than six-thousand tons of rubble were removed. The number of people on site was revised down to 62. Bredell confirmed 33 deaths and 34 rescues of which five died later, while ten patients are still in hospital. He says an update on the investigation will be provided in due course.

# Swimming: Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh fired a warning to her Olympic competitors when she broke her own world record in the 400 metres individual medley. The 17-year-old set a time of four-minutes-24.38-seconds during her country’s Olympic trials. She previously also won the 400 and the 200 metre freestyle items. McIntosh is set to compete in her second Olympics in Paris later this year, where she could meet American great Katie Ledecky and double Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus from Australia.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-21-cents and the euro at 19-rand-76-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-270-dollars-50-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-401-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-36-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The family of former Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro remembered her as a pillar of strength and a unifying force. During her memorial service at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in Johannesburg, her son, Ithateng Mokgoro, described her as a democrat with great values. He says the family, and the country at large, has lost a principled servant, whose commitment to justice will continue to shape the society:

Stay tuned for more news………….