News 13:00

BULLETIN 13 May 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Thousands of people are evacuated due to floods in the Cape Winelands
# COPE says South Africans are facing a crisis of unemployment, poverty, hunger, and economic despair
# And the renowned South African publicist and fashion designer, Maria McCloy, has died

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality says all its areas have reported damage due to the inclement weather being experienced in the Western Cape. Witzenberg, Breede Valley, Drakenstein, Langeberg and Stellenbosch were worst affected. Spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto says thousands of people had to be evacuated and housed in community and church halls, while a number of people are still trapped by floodwaters. A reconnaissance flight will be conducted today to establish the extent of people who may be cut off, as well as the full impact of the damage.

# North West University Business School economist Raymond Parsons says South Africa’s latest unemployment figures are a warning signal of the emerging shock that the global energy crisis is beginning to have. The official unemployment rate increased by 1.3-percent to 32.7-percent in the first quarter. Parsons says the longer the Middle Eastern conflict persists, the greater the downside risks to growth and employment for the rest of the year:

Meanwhile, COPE is calling for an urgent, accelerated national economic recovery programme focused on job creation, youth entrepreneurship, township and rural economies and infrastructure rollout. A total of 345-thousand jobs were lost between January and March. COPE’s acting national chairperson, Pakes Dikgetsi, says the collapse of employment in the construction and service sectors is particularly alarming, as these sectors traditionally absorb large numbers of young people and low-skilled workers:

# Soccer: Local governing body SAFA has confirmed Video Assistant Referee technology will be introduced next season after receiving 20-million-rand in government funding. Finance committee chairperson Mxolisi Sibam says preparations have already been underway for seven months. The system will be implemented in partnership with the Premier Soccer League and is also expected to benefit women’s soccer and national competitions.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-26-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-180-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-691-dollars-98-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-18-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Renowned South African designer, publicist, entrepreneur and DJ, Maria McCloy, has passed away at the age of 50. She died at the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg after suffering heart failure. Her celebrity clientele as a publicist in recent years included Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thandiswa Mazwai and Sjava. McCloy’s family has described her as a vibrant and creative soul who embraced life wholeheartedly. It adds her warmth and generosity left a lasting impression on many.

Stay tuned for more news………….