News 07:00

BULLETIN 24 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party says Zuma remains the sole leader of the party
# The Africa Restoration Alliance wants to imprison those who refuse to work
# And rugby: Erasmus says the latest alignment camp has set a good tone for the season

# The MK Party has reaffirmed that Jacob Zuma is the party’s sole leader. This comes as Jabulani Khumalo, who was recently ousted as president of MK and subsequently expelled, asserts that he remains the party’s founder and leader. He argues that Zuma is merely the public face and not the actual leader of the party. MK says it vehemently denounces these false claims as part of a deliberate, dismal effort to demoralise its members and supporters nationwide ahead of the elections.

# The Africa Restoration Alliance has called for citizens who refuse to work despite available job opportunities to be imprisoned. The party aims to secure a million votes in the upcoming elections and will contest nationally and provincially. ARA party leader Jerome Swartz has expressed the party’s commitment to bringing development and addressing the job crisis. Swartz urges voters to choose his party, promising independent narratives and job-focused solutions to combat crime:

# Mineral Resources and Energy Department deputy director-general, Hilda Mhlongo, has emphasised the underrepresentation of women in the mining sector. Speaking at the Enlit Africa 2024 conference in Cape Town, Mhlongo stressing the need for empowerment strategies. She highlighted the Energy Sector Women Empowerment Strategy’s efforts to address barriers and promote women’s participation. Mhlongo underscored the benefits of gender diversity, emphasising its importance for innovation, inclusive growth, and challenging traditional gender roles in the energy sector.

# Section27 has welcomed the decision by the High Court in Johannesburg ordering the Gauteng Department of Social Development to pay non-profit organisations. The court has directed the department to finalise by today the adjudication of applications submitted by NPOs in November last year. It must also make payments to those organisations who have already signed their service level agreements by the end of the month. Section27’s, Pearl Nicodemus, says this is a huge win for NPOs and their beneficiaries:

# In the face of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, 72-percent of European Union citizens support economic sanctions on the Russian government, companies, and individuals. The European Commission released its latest barometer on a series of multi-topics undertaken to monitor regularly the state of public opinion in Europe. Eighty-seven-percent agree with providing humanitarian support to the people affected by the war. Meanwhile, 77-percent of Europeans are in favour of a common defence and security policy among EU countries.

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says he is pleased with the foundation laid at the national team’s second in-person alignment camp in Cape Town. A group of 38 players attended the camp this week, which followed the first alignment camp in March. The Boks kick off their 2024 international season against Wales on the 22nd of June. Erasmus says the camp was extremely valuable in exposing the players to detailed aspects of the game which would be implemented this season:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-48-cents and the euro at 19-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-46-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-635-dollars-89-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-329-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….