News 07:00

BULLETIN 23 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa welcomes the Judicial Service Commission’s backing of Mandisa Maya as the next Chief Justice
# Anglo American rejects BHP’s third offer
# And Alan Winde says the George building collapse probe is progressing

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the Judicial Service Commission’s recommendation of Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya as the next Chief Justice. The president nominated Maya to take over the reins from Raymond Zondo, who is retiring in August after serving a mandatory 12-year term. Maya will become the first woman to be appointed to the position. Speaking to the media after a Siyanqoba mini rally in Mpumalanga, Ramaphosa says he is glad Maya’s interview with the JSC went well:

# The board of Anglo American has rejected a third buyout offer from mining giant BHP. It now values Anglo at about 900-billion-rand, up from its second valuation of 782-billion-rand. The offer still has the same complex structure. BHP requires Anglo first to complete two separate demergers of its shareholdings in Anglo American Platinum and Kumba Iron Ore Limited. The Anglo board says it continues to believe that there are serious concerns with the structure given that it is likely to result in a material completion risk.

# The City of Johannesburg Council has finally approved the 83.1-billion-rand budget for the 2024/2025 financial year following delays. It was passed with a majority vote of 145 in favour and ten against. The budget was not passed last week as members of the leading coalition, the Government of Local Unity, which consists of the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, and other parties disagreed with budget allocations. The city says the budget is inclusive, making all the Integrated​ Development Plan aspirations a reality.

# Western Cape premier Alan Winde says the investigation into the George building collapse is progressing well. Thirty-four construction workers died when the five-story building collapsed on the sixth of this month. The search and recovery operation was concluded last week Friday, and the site was handed over to the police. V3 Consulting Engineers is leading the provincial government’s investigation. Winde says they have a responsibility to ensure that everything is done to prevent a similar tragedy:

# Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba welcomes the International Criminal Court’s decision over the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. The court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defence minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders. Speaking at the University of the Western Cape, Makgoba praised this move as an important step towards ensuring accountability for all parties involved in the conflict, under international humanitarian law, irrespective of the perpetrators’ affiliations.

# Tennis: Andre Agassi has been announced as Team World’s new Laver Cup captain from next year. The American winner of eight Grand Slam titles will succeed his compatriot John McEnroe, who led the team since the competition started in 2017. Björn Borg of Sweden, who won Wimbledon five years in a row from 1976, is currently the captain of Team Europe, but Swiss legend Roger Federer is touted to replace him next year. Europe won the first four tournaments, and World the next two.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-32-cents and the euro at 19-rand-83-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-31-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-494-dollars-65-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-371-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-31-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….