News 17:00

BULLETIN 18 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# POPCRU accuses the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory of occupational health and safety failures
# Firefighters battle a blaze in a pine plantation near Bainskloof
# And motorsport: Toto Wolff says Mercedes must make sure Kimi Antonelli doesn’t get carried away

# The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union has accused the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory of serious occupational health and safety failures. It claims SAPS failed to carry out mandatory hepatitis screenings, medical surveillance, and vaccination verification required under occupational health and safety laws. POPCRU’s spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo, says some employees due for testing since early 2025 were never assessed, yet continued working in high-risk environments:

# The extortion case against taxi tycoon Joe Sibanyoni and three co-accused has been struck off the roll at the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court. Defence lawyers, including Shaun Abrahams, argued there was no sufficient evidence on the charges. The four men accused of allegedly extorting 2.2-million-rand from a Mpumalanga mining mogul, were released after the State prosecutor failed to appear. Magistrate Johannes Erasmus ruled contempt of court and warrant of arrest against the prosecutor:

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s fire crews are continuing efforts to contain a wildfire in the Bainskloof area. The fire is being driven by strong winds and dry vegetation in a pine plantation. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says three ground teams, supported by fire vehicles and the Winelands Fire Protection Association, are working to contain the fire:

# The World Health Organisation member states are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, this week for the 79th World Health Assembly. The assembly runs from today until Saturday at the United Nations Palais des Nations. Under this year’s theme, “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility,” health ministers and experts from 193 member states are convening to shape global healthcare priorities. Major focus centres around addressing the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship and a fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

# Motorsport: Mercedes’ Formula One team principal, Toto Wolff, says they have to protect young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli against too much public praise after the country’s soccer team failed to qualify for the World Cup again. Wolff says 19-year-old Antonelli and world number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner, have now become the soccer-mad nation’s sporting idols, and Mercedes must make sure Antonelli doesn’t get carried away. He won the past three Grand Prix and has a 20-point lead on British teammate George Russel on top of the drivers’ standings.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-58-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-21-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-461-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-565-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 104-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….