News 07:00

BULLETIN 3 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA urges minister Pandor to secure the release of two South African engineers being detained in Equatorial Guinea
# The Justice Department warns magistrates against striking
# And cricket: The West Indies player Devon Thomas is banned for five years

# The DA welcomes the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s intervention to secure the release of two South African engineers detained in Equatorial Guinea for over 15 months. Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were arrested on suspected false drug charges, seen as retaliation for the seizure of assets belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president, Teodore Nguema Obiang Mangue. The DA’s Emma Louise Powell says International Relations and Cooperation minister Naledi Pandor is scheduled to visit Equatorial Guinea on Saturday, to negotiate their release:

# The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has warned magistrates who have threatened to strike, saying doing so will be illegal. Magistrates affiliated with the Judicial Officers Association are considering striking over salaries. The association accuses the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-bearers of dragging its feet in reviewing salary increases for magistrates. The department’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, says the Labour Relations Act does not apply to magistrates:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says equitable access to comprehensive early childhood development opportunities is the cornerstone of improved educational outcomes and inclusive economic growth. He convened the inaugural meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Early Childhood Development. The president has characterised ECD as the real revolution for the country’s long-term development. Ramaphosa says the committee’s key priorities include every child having access to affordable childhood programmes, and sufficient funding and resourcing to be targeted effectively to the most vulnerable communities.

# City of Johannesburg mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, has cited illegal mining as a major concern causing financial strain on the city. Highlighting the city’s perilous situation in his second State of the City address, Gwamanda warns of threats illegal mining has to residents’ security and infrastructure, including damage to roadways and water systems. He stresses the strain on health risks posed by pollution from illegal mining:

# Cricket: The International Cricket Council has handed West Indies all-rounder, Devon Thomas, a five-year ban after admitting to seven anti-corruption breaches. Eighteen months of his ban has been suspended. His most serious offence was match-fixing attempts in Sri Lanka’s domestic T20 competition in 2021, in which he played just one game for the Kandy Warriors. Thomas has played 34 times for West Indies across all formats. The ICC says this ban should send a strong message that attempts to corrupt the sport will be dealt with firmly.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-677-dollars-62-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-300-dollars-18-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-76-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The search for Miss South Africa 2024 is underway, with entries open until next week Wednesday. Married women and those with children are still allowed to enter. Citizens will once again get to know the finalists through the reality competition television show Crown Chasers, which will broadcast on SABC3. Reigning Miss SA, Natasha Joubert, says entrants must know themselves well, as the competition is more than just about wardrobe, advocacy, and self-awareness.

Stay tuned for more news………….