News 09:00

BULLETIN 23 May 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK and ACT parties present the harsh reality of personality-driven politics
# Cosatu says the new mining rights application system benefits the industry
# And RISE Mzansi says the ANC Youth League’s march in Soshanguve is littered with contradictions

# The emergence of former president Jacob Zuma’s MK Party, and former ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule’s African Congress for Transformation, have ushered in a new era of unprecedented opposition politics. This is according to University of the Free State professor, Sethulego Matebesi. MK is predicted to make a dent in the ANC and IFP’s support in KwaZulu-Natal, while ACT could have a say in the Free State. Matebesi says that given Zuma and Magashule’s complex relationship with the ANC, these populist leaders believe they are a viable alternative to the ruling party.

# Union federation Cosatu has welcomed the government’s announcement of a new mineral rights application system operator. The mining industry estimates that there is a backlog of more than three-thousand prospecting and mining rights, or investment value of more than 30-billion-rand. Cosatu’s, Matthew Parks, says it shares the views of the industry that the current applications system has been woefully inadequate and has stifled investments and growth:

# RISE Mzansi Youth and Student Chapters have criticised the ANC Youth League’s march against crime in Soshanguve north of Pretoria yesterday. The league is demanding justice for five-year-old Ditebogo Junior Phalane who was killed by hijackers two weeks ago, and it wants more police visibility in the area. RISE Mzansi’s, Lawrence Manaka, says the ANC Youth League is part of the government that has allowed crime to run rampant where families and their communities are unsafe:

# A worker at a British nursery was given a 14-year sentence for the death of a nine-month-old baby. Kate Roughley was found guilty of manslaughter after she strapped Genevieve Meehan face-down on a bean bag and left her there for 90 minutes in May 2022. The baby died from asphyxiation. The judge said it was apparent Roughley considered the baby a nuisance, and her interactions lacked any care, kindness, or concern for her wellbeing. The incident was captured on CCTV and shown in court.

# Soccer: Ademola Lookman scored a hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen three-nil to win the Europa League in Dublin, and end a 61-year trophy drought. This is Leverkusen’s first defeat since their final game of the 2022-2023 season. Atalanta has now booked their place in next season’s Champions League. Lookman, who is the first player to ever score a hat-trick in a Europa League final, says making history with the club is very special:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-29-cents and the euro at 19-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-460-dollars-35-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-372-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….