News 16:00

BULLETIN 24 May 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# OUTA is to challenge Nersa’s Karpowership licenses in court
# Ramaphosa calls for young professionals’ support in the elections
# And rugby: You cannot just buy tickets for the Boks versus All Blacks Test in Cape Town 

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse is taking the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to court over its decision to grant generation licenses to Turkish company Karpowership in South African harbours. It has filed an application to obtain the full, unredacted records of Nersa’s decision to approve the licenses. The hearing is scheduled in the High Court in Pretoria for next month. OUTA’s Stefanie Fick contends Nersa’s decision-making lacked transparency and failed to balance public and economic interests:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended his leadership style against claims of being weak and indecisive. Speaking at the Gordon Institute of Business Science with young professionals in Johannesburg, he emphasised his commitment to consultation and social compacting. According to News24, Ramaphosa admitted he was overly ambitious when he promised a social compact within 100 days during his 2022 state of the nation address. He urged voters to support the ANC in the elections to allow him to continue his work:

Meanwhile, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula says the party’s supporters will vote for it to continue the progressive realisation of universal quality basic services and the provision of a social wage. The ANC will ensure that its public representatives are held accountable for the basic services to communities that form part of their responsibilities. Mbalula says they will track implementation through the ANC’s Local Government Monitor.

# Rugby: Tickets for the Rugby Championship Test between the Springboks and All Blacks in Cape Town will go on sale on 19 June. A public registration of interest will be held from 27 May to 9 June and a ticket ballot process will be conducted to ensure a fair process. Registration of interest is an entry into the ticket ballot and does not automatically secure tickets. Successful applicants randomly selected from the draw will be invited to purchase up to four tickets per customer. Tickets range from 250- to three-thousand-500-rand.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-40-cents and the euro at 19-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-41-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-412-dollars-78-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-338-dollars-31-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-16-cents a barrel

# And finally: Franschhoek’s La Petite Colombe and Stellenbosch based chef, Callan Austin, were some of the winners at the Luxe Restaurant Awards. The awards are a celebration of South Africa’s finest food, hospitality and lifestyle talent. La Petite Colombe won Restaurant of the Year, while Austin scooped Chief of the Year. Other notable winners include the Culinary Rising Star Award went to Matt Van Den Berg, The Table at De Meye in Stellenbosch won Family Restaurant of the Year, and chef James Gaag won the Pioneer Award.

Stay tuned for more news………….