News 06:00

BULLETIN 23 May 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Godongwana says fiscal consolidation requires political support
# The DA welcomes the Parliament’s recognition of farm murders as a national crisis
# And the shooter of the Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington acted alone

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana says he is beginning to win the battle within the cabinet to support fiscal consolidation. Consolidated government expenditures in the minister’s amended budget have gone down from 2.60-trillion to 2.58-trillion-rand. Godongwana says the government is spending 1.2-billion-rand servicing debt. He says fiscal consolidation is a difficult exercise that requires the National Treasury to get political support for its revised spending plans, which now need to accommodate the absence of a value-added tax hike.

# The DA has welcomed Parliament’s recognition of farm murders as a national crisis and calls for urgent action to protect rural communities. DA Agriculture spokesperson, Willie Aucamp, and Police spokesperson, Ian Cameron, back the adoption of a joint parliamentary report urging reforms. These include a Rural Safety Unit, improved crime intelligence, and stronger SAPS-NPA collaboration. Aucamp says farm attacks threaten food security, jobs, and lives:

# Rise Mzansi says it’s time to build an Africa led by Africans, for Africans and the world. According to the party, the continent must use its G20 leadership to demand global respect and shake off outdated stereotypes. Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana calls for a united push to unlock the full potential of intra-African trade and infrastructure. Gana says Africa must stop exporting raw materials only to buy back finished products at higher costs.

# The High Court in Johannesburg has dismissed an urgent bail application by Phumelele Myeza, one of ten accused in the four-million-rand SASSA fraud case. Myeza approached the court claiming delays in the lower court were irregular. The State argued her bail bid was premature, as the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court had not yet ruled. NPA’s Phindi Mjonondwane says the court agreed with the state that more evidence was still required:

# US Attorney General Pam Bondi says, from everything known to authorities, the suspect arrested in connection with the shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers acted alone. Two Israeli embassy staff, Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were shot dead while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. Police have identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago. Bondi says security has been increased at the museum and the Israeli embassy:

# Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz will begin his French Open title defence against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Jannik Sinner plays home hopeful Arthur Rinderknech. Novak Djokovic starts his latest quest for a record-setting 25th major against American Mackenzie McDonald. Last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev takes on US teenager Learner Tien. Iga Swiatek faces a difficult route to a fourth successive Roland Garros. She is in the same quarter as 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini, former champion Jelena Ostapenko and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-1-cents and the euro at 20-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 111-thousand-373-dollar-80-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-298-dollars-35-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….