News 13:00
BULLETIN 9 May 1 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# SAFTU calls on both the Public Protector and the Reserve Bank Governor to resign following the Phala Phala ruling
# Eskom sustains its grid performance as cooler temperatures drive a higher evening demand
# And tennis: Swiatek battles into the Italian Open third round
# The South African Federation of Trade Unions is calling on Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka and South African Reserve Bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago to resign following the Constitutional Court judgement on president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala-Phala matter. The Reserve Bank found no obligation to report the stolen foreign currency while the Public Protector June 2023 report, cleared Ramaphosa of wrongdoing. SAFTU’s Asive Dyani says Gcaleka and Kganyago are now irreparably compromised in the eyes of the public:
Meanwhile, the United Africans Transformation has welcomed the judgement affirming that Parliament acted unlawfully in halting the impeachment process. Spokesperson Mighty Mabule says the continuation of the impeachment process is necessary to restore public confidence in state institutions and to uphold the integrity of South Africa’s constitutional democracy. He says Parliament cannot become a protective shield for political elites:
# Eskom says despite higher demand driven by inclement weather condtions, including a sharrise in evening consumption as temperatures dropped, with peak demand at times reaching nearly two-thousand-megawatts above anticipated levels, the system has remained stable. The power utility spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says this has been achieved alongside the natural tapering of solar generation at sunset. She says this is in demonstrating enhanced operational resilience and improved capacity utilisation across the fleet:
# At the order of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Defense Department on Friday released dozens of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings to provide what it called “unprecedented transparency” to the American people. However, analysts said many of the documents had already been made public. The disclosure of documents, photos and videos of “unidentified anomalous phenomena” will be followed by future releases as more materials are declassified. The records release is likely to fuel fresh debate over government secrecy and the possible existence of life in the cosmos.
# Tennis: Iga Swiatek battled into the third round of the Italian Open with a 6-1, 6-7,6-3 win over American Caty McNally. The Pole seemed on course for a routine victory when she pulled 4-2 in front in the second set, but McNally twice broke Swiatek as she served for the match and then snatched the tie-break. Swiatek again nudged ahead with a break for a 3-1 lead in the decider. McNally clawed herself level at 3-all before Swiatek took the final three games to book her place in the next round She has not won a clay tournament since capturing the last of her four French Open titles in 2024.
# And finally: BirdLife International says the changing journeys of the world’s birds reveal real strain on the natural systems the world depends on. Today marks the World Migratory Bird Day focusing on the theme, Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter. BirdLife International CEO, Martin Harper says migratory birds carry nutrients across oceans, pollinate plants, spread seeds, and help keep crops growing and diseases in check. He says worldwide, more than 40-percent of bird species are now in decline:
Stay tuned for more news………….