News 14:00

BULLETIN 21 May 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Voters are unlikely to be swayed by last-minute campaign efforts 
# Vinpro reports indicate a seven-percent decline in the 2024 wine grape harvest 
# And cricket: The West Indies’ interim captain is ready for the T20 series against South Africa 

# With only a few days remaining until South Africa’s elections, political analyst Dirk Kotzé believes that voters have already made up their minds and are unlikely to be swayed by last-minute campaign efforts. This comes as political parties are spending the remaining days before elections intensifying their door-to-door campaigns and hosting rallies. Kotzé believes at this late stage, campaigning can only affirm voters’ existing decisions and not change their choices. He expressed disappointment in the performance of independent candidates, noting their limited impact compared to established parties.

# Wine industry body, Vinpro, reports the 2024 wine grape harvest has yielded 1.09-million metric tonnes, marking a seven-percent decrease from the prior season. Consultation Services manager Etienne Terblanche credits careful planning and adaptability for overcoming climatic challenges. Despite a lighter yield, winemakers are optimistic about the quality, particularly in red wine grapes. South Africa is the world’s seventh-largest wine producer and sees this harvest as a testament to the industry’s resilience and commitment to quality.

# Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi’s three-day-long funeral begins in Tabriz today, moving to Qom this afternoon. He died in a helicopter accident on Sunday. A farewell ceremony will be held at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosque tonight. Tomorrow, a procession will move from Tehran University to Azadi Square, followed by a high-level ceremony and another in Birjand before his burial in Mashhad on Thursday. Five days of national mourning have been declared, and a national holiday declared next month. Governors may also decide to close provinces where funeral ceremonies are being held.

# Cricket: Brandon King says he is excited to captain the West Indies, especially on home soil. The 29-year-old will lead the Caribbean side in the upcoming three-match T20 series against South Africa at Sabina Park in his native Jamaica. The first match is on Thursday. Regular captain Rovman Powell is still participating in the Indian Premier League. King says the series is the final chance for the team to prepare for next month’s T20 World Cup:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-6-cents and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-177-dollars-32-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-417-dollars-61-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-68-cents a barrel.0

# And finally: Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya has described her appointment to the Constitutional Court as the highest honour of her career. She praised the ConCourt for its supportive environment. Maya, previously president of the Supreme Court of Appeal, noted she has never worked as hard as in the past 20 months, dealing with 400 appeal applications. She is being interviewed by the Judicial Service Commission to replace chief justice Raymond Zondo when he retires in August:

Stay tuned for more news………….