News 13:00

BULLETIN 29 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Today marks exactly a month to the general election on 29 May
# The DA in the Western Cape is not shocked at the ANC’s failure to announce a premier candidate
# And Rugby: The Glasgow Warriors replace Leinster as the URC log leaders

# Today marks one month until South Africa’s general elections on 29 May. Approximately 27.8-million eligible voters are preparing to cast their vote for the seventh parliament and provincial legislatures. A record-breaking 31 political parties and independent candidates are expected to contest the national polls. The ANC is still seeking to retain its parliamentary majority, but the latest Ipsos poll indicates discontent is on the rise because of issues like unemployment, corruption, crime and poor services.

# The DA in the Western Cape says the repeated postponement of the ANC’s announcement of their provincial premier candidate speaks volumes about the party’s internal disarray. While campaigning in the province at the weekend, ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, said the ruling party does not campaign through the premiership candidate position. The DA’s, Tertuis Simmers, says the ANC’s track record does not inspire hope and confidence:

# Cosatu says all deadlines on the Pension Funds Amendment Bill will be met soon to ensure implementation in September, after workers had been waiting for this relief since 2020. The Bill has been amended by the National Council of Provinces. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says workers are highly indebted due to slow economic growth, the rising costs of living and having to support relatives in an economy battling a 41-percent unemployment rate:

# Rugby: Glasgow Warriors are the new leaders on the United Rugby Championship log, having jumped above Leinster at the top of the table. Leinster are now just one point ahead of reigning champions Munster who made it back-to-back bonus point wins in South Africa by despatching the Lions. The Bulls lead the South African teams on the log in fourth place, the Stormers are fifth, the Lions eleventh, and the Sharks in 13th place among the 16 teams.  

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-76-cents and the euro at 20-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-48-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-285-dollars-34-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-337-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-88-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Imprisoned Palestinian author, Basim Khandaqji, won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel ‘A Mask, the Colour of the Sky’ at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Khandaqji won prize money of 937-thousand-rand, and funding for an English translation. Khandaqji, serving a life sentence on terrorism charges since 2004, was convicted of planning and participating in a bombing at Tel Aviv’s Camel Market. His book follows the life of Nur, a Palestinian archaeologist living in a refugee camp in Ramallah, in an attempt to understand life behind the security fence.

Stay tuned for more news………….