News 18:00

BULLETIN 25 May 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Court delays Brown Mogotsi’s bail hearing to Thursday
# The Public Servants Association welcomes a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice affirming the right to strike under international law
# And, SAHPRA shuts down an illegal weight-loss drug factory in Pretoria

# The case against alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi has been postponed to Thursday for verification of his address. Mogotsi appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today. He faces charges including defeating the ends of justice and firearm-related offences. The state alleges he staged an assassination attempt on himself and tried to bribe an investigating officer. However, Mogotsi’s lawyer, William Sekgatja, refutes the allegations and denies any wrongdoing:

# The DA says president Cyril Ramaphosa needs to urgently appoint the board for the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Parliament’s portfolio committee on Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities submitted proposed names to the president in March. The DA’s Angel Khanyile says the council is a critical stakeholder in curbing the scourge of violence against women and children:

# The Public Servants Association has welcomed a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice affirming that the right to strike is protected under international law. The union’s Claude Naicker says the decision reinforces freedom of association and collective bargaining rights for workers globally. He says the ruling strengthens constitutional protections in SA and should guide policymakers to respect labour rights. He called for meaningful dialogue between the government and social partners:

# South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has shut down an illegal weight-loss drug manufacturing plant in Silverton, Pretoria, after complaints about unregulated production. The facility was found to be manufacturing semaglutide and tirzepatide without proper authorisation. Spokesperson Mokgadi Fafudi says inspectors, together with the South African Pharmacy Council, discovered unaccounted active ingredients and finished products during a raid. She says the operation was unlawful despite the site being registered under the Pharmacy Act, and investigations into the wider distribution network are ongoing.

# Soccer: Mamelodi Sundowns earned a record-breaking 100-million-rand in prize money for winning the CAF Champions League for the second time. The Brazilians played to a one-all draw against AS FAR in the second leg of the final in Rabat, Morocco, yesterday, to complete a 2-1 aggregate victory after their first-leg win of 1-0 in Pretoria last week. The African governing body recently approved a huge increase in the winner’s reward, raising it from around 65.3-million-rand. AS FAR had been awarded around 32.6-million-rand.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-30-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-97-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-415-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-568-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 95-dollars-36-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….