News 07:00

BULLETIN 24 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Dlamini-Zuma denounces genocide claims as misinformation
# FF Plus cautiously welcomes crime drop, but SA still faces grim reality
# And tennis: Djokovic reaches Geneva Open final with 100th title in sight

# Former African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has dismissed claims of genocide in South Africa as deliberate misinformation. Dlamini-Zuma’s statement follows a contentious meeting between president Cyril Ramaphosa and US president Donald Trump. Trump presented misleading materials suggesting targeted violence against white farmers. In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, she emphasised that while crime affects all citizens, there is no evidence supporting such genocide allegations:

# The Freedom Front Plus says while the latest crime statistics show slight improvements, South Africa remains in the grip of a severe crime crisis. The party notes a 12.4-percent drop in murders and a 15-percent decline in carjackings between January and March. The FF Plus’s Wouter Wessels has welcomed progress under Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s leadership but criticised the racial profiling of rural murder victims in the latest report:

# The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will host Africa Day 2025 celebrations at Freedom Park in Pretoria this Sunday. Running under the theme ‘Building Africa we want through solidarity, equality and sustainability”, the eleventh edition marks Africa Month and 31 years of South Africa’s democracy. The day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. Festivities begin with a parade carnival at the Kgosi Mampuru prison.

# A judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s plan to strip Harvard University of its ability to enrol foreign students. The ruling is the latest escalation of a dispute between the White House and one of America’s most prestigious institutions. The order pauses a move by the Department of Homeland Security to revoke Harvard’s access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, a government database that manages foreign students. There are almost seven-thousand international students at Harvard, who make up more than 27-percent of its enrolled students this year.

# Tennis: Novak Djokovic is on the brink of his 100th tour-level title after beating qualifier Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 in the Geneva Open semifinals on Friday. Victory in today’s final against Polish sixth seed Hubert Hurkacz would be the perfect preparation for the French Open starting on Sunday. It will be the Serbian’s second final this year after the Miami Open, where he lost to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. Djokovic, who turned 38 on Thursday, is ranked world number 6 and bidding for a fourth Roland Garros title.

# And, Tshwane Metro Police Department has issued a traffic advisory ahead of today’s CAF Champions League clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Pyramids FC at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Multiple streets around the stadium will be closed from 8am to 8pm, including Park, Farenden, and Walton Jameson. Heavy traffic is expected and motorists are urged to use alternative routes like Francis Baard and Justice Mahomed. Traffic metro police and the SAPS officers will be deployed to manage congestion and ensure safety.

Stay tuned for more news………….