News 07:00

BULLETIN 21 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Elon Musk criticises South Africa’s black ownership laws
# AfriForum says Tshwane obstructed its safety plan for substations
# And the World Health Organisation adopts the global pandemic treaty

# Tech billionaire Elon Musk has criticised South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment laws. He claims the Starlink internet service was barred from operating in the country because he is not black. To operate in South Africa, Starlink needs to obtain network and service licences, which both require 30-percent ownership by historically disadvantaged groups. Government is reportedly planning to offer a workaround to the BEE laws for Starlink to operate in the country. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk says the laws are racist and improper:

Meanwhile, the EFF has condemned reports that the government is set to offer regulatory assurances to Elon Musk’s Starlink, saying this move is unconstitutional. The government is reportedly planning to offer Musk a workaround of local black ownership laws for his Starlink internet service to operate in South Africa. The EFF says they are not opposed to technology or global innovation, but will not allow unregulated, foreign-controlled infrastructure to operate outside the country’s democratic and legislative framework. It adds that Starlink represents a threat to local industry and national security.

# The minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Gwede Mantashe says South Africa must maximise the value of its critical minerals to benefit from global shifts in energy and technology. This after the cabinet approved a new strategy to grow the sector. Mantashe states more investment is needed in exploration, local processing, and infrastructure to unlock full value from the mineral wealth:

# AfriForum has criticised the City of Tshwane for thwarting the implementation of the organisation’s plan for safeguarding substations in the metro. Several parts of Centurion and Pretoria East were without power on Tuesday due to an explosion at the Zwartkop substation. Last month, a transformer at the Waltloo substation caught fire. AfriForum’s Arno Roodt says outdated infrastructure, poor management, ongoing cable theft, and the sabotage of infrastructure are some reasons for the disruptive fires at substations.

# Members of the World Health Organisation adopted an agreement yesterday intended to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to Covid-19. After three years of negotiations, the legally binding pact was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The pact was touted as a victory for members of the global health agency at a time when multilateral organisations like the W-H-O have been battered by sharp cuts in US foreign funding. Health experts welcomed the treaty as a step towards greater fairness in global health.

# Cricket: Sam Cook will make his England debut in this week’s Test against Zimbabwe, while fellow fast bowler Josh Tongue features for the first time in two years. Cook’s place in the England team at Trent Bridge on Thursday is a reward for a sustained spell as one of county cricket’s most consistent wicket-takers with Essex. The 27-year-old’s 227 County Championship wickets are the most by any seamer over the last five years. Tongue has been included in England’s new-look bowling attack in his first appearance since the 2023 Ashes series.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-90-cents and the euro at 20-rand-21-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand and Bitcoin trades at 106-thousand-770-dollar-20-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-288-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….