News 06:00

BULLETIN 10 May 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The owners of the construction company evade the authorities after the George building disaster
# The Energy Council of South Africa says the load-shedding reprieve is not electioneering
# And Israel criticises Biden for his threat to stop arms supplies over a Rafah invasion

# Western Cape Department of Employment and Labour chief inspector David Esau revealed that the whereabouts of the owners of the construction company responsible for the collapsed building in George remain unknown. The incident, which occurred on Monday, resulted in eight fatalities and numerous injuries. Esau stated that despite failed attempts to contact the company owner, investigations into the matter persist, with assurances provided to affected families:

# Energy Council of South Africa says the current load-shedding reprieve is not electioneering, but the consequence of government and business making headway to solve the country’s electricity crisis. Former Eskom CEO, André de Ruyter, claimed that Eskom was burning more diesel resulting in increased expenditure. He said in 2022 the power utility burned about 19-billion-rand of diesel and last year, nearly 30-billion-rand. The council says the progress made in improving South Africa’s energy security was genuine and sustainable.

# Contractors have been given the green light to begin reconstruction of the National Assembly building gutted by fire in 2022. Since the fire, teams have been working to clear the debris, install a temporary roof, and secure the site. The total cost for the project is estimated at around three-billion-rand. The reconstruction work begins today. National Council of Provinces chairperson, Amos Masondo, says work is expected to be completed by February 2026:

# Former ANC deputy president David Mabuza has defended the party’s renewal project in Alexandra, Gauteng, saying remarkable progress has been made since 1994. In April 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to build one million houses as part of the renewal project, with a budget of 1.3-billion-rand over seven years. Leading the party’s campaign trail in the country’s oldest township yesterday, Mabuza said the ANC has not failed Alexandra residents:

# Top Israeli officials criticised US President Joe Biden for threatening to stop certain arms supplies to Israel if it invades the crowded Gaza city of Rafah. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said this is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom they have been grateful since the beginning of the war. Israel has defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting targeted raids in the eastern areas of Rafah. It says Rafah is home to Hamas’s last remaining battalions.

# Cricket: This year’s SA 20 drew over 20-percent more television viewers than last year’s inaugural season. Ten of the 34 matches were sold out, including the final at Newlands in Cape Town where Sunrisers Eastern Cape retained their title by beating Durban’s Super Giants. Over 70-percent of available tickets were sold, while 96-percent of spectators described the stadium experience as very enjoyable. The league’s commissioner, Graeme Smith, credited fans, partners, players, and stakeholders for the successful season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-741-dollars-2-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-353-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….