News 08:00

BULLETIN 23 May 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cosatu welcomes the decrease in various crimes
# Statistics South Africa records mixed trends in civil debt cases for March
# And: Cricket: Babar Azam is back in Pakistan’s squad for the Australia ODIs

# Cosatu has welcomed the decrease in crimes such as rape, murder, robberies and burglaries. This follows after the acting national police commissioner, Puleng Dimpane, yesterday announced the fourth quarter crime statistics. Cosatu’s spokesperson, Matthew Parks, commended the hard work of the police. He says the statistics are encouraging but South Africans cannot celebrate or be complacent as the crime levels remain unacceptably high:

The Forum for South Africa has meanwhile said that whistleblowers are the backbone of the fight against corruption and must be protected. This follows after the minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, decided to extend the window for public comments on the Protected Disclosures Bill. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane says any framework designed to protect whistleblowers must be robust, credible, and most importantly shaped by inclusive public input:

And the South African Federation of Trade Unions has also welcomed the latest crime statistics. Murder cases decreased by 9.5-percent, rape cases by 8.5-percent, with a 4.6-percent decline in overall contact crime. However, Saftu’s Asive Dyani says the levels of violence remain catastrophically high. She says South Africa is still recording approximately 58 murders every single day, with more than 110 rapes cases reported daily:

# Statistics South Africa says civil debt cases showed a mixed trend between January and March. The number of civil summonses issued for debt fell slightly by 0.2-percent compared with the same period last year, while civil judgements also declined by 1.7-percent. However, Stats SA’s Vhonani Kwinda says the figures point to a small decline in case volumes, but a rise in the financial value of debt-related judgements:

# Road running: Two first-time marathon runners, entertainer Rob van Vuuren and Amy Foundation coordinator Giovanni Afrika, are set to take on the Cape Town Marathon, not for competition but to raise funds for youth development programmes. The pair are running 42.2 kilometres to support vulnerable children in Cape Town’s townships and Cape Flats communities, with fundraising targets aimed at sponsoring after-school support and skills training for young people. They say the challenge is about changing lives and creating opportunity.

# And finally, cricket: The star batsman Babar Azam is back in Pakistan’s 16-man squad to face world champions Australia in the three-match ODI series starting next week. Azam missed the away series in March against Bangladesh with a fitness issue, but scored 588 runs in the Pakistan Super League earlier this month to stage a comeback. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to captain the side, with Salman Ali Agha named vice-captain. The first clash between the two teams is on 30 May in Rawalpindi.

Stay tuned for more news………….