News 07:00

BULLETIN 28 May 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Simelane says housing delivery remains below target
# The SACP hits back at the ANC for refusing to participate in the Conference of the Left
# And soccer: The Bafana Bafana coach selects 26 players to represent South Africa at the World Cup

# Human Settlements minister, Thembi Simelane, has acknowledged that housing delivery remains below target, revealing that only 23-thousand-and-27 housing units were delivered against a target of 37-thousand-779 during the previous financial year. She tabled a 26.972-billion-rand budget allocation for the 2026/2027 financial year. Simelane says the department will take decisive action against underperforming contractors and officials responsible for procurement delays. She adds that government remains committed to leveraging innovative building technologies to accelerate housing delivery and improve climate resilience.

# The South African Communist Party has criticised the ANC, after the governing party refused to participate in the upcoming Conference of the Left. The conference, themed “Building a Left Movement for Working-Class and Popular Power”, will be attended by various leftist political parties and unions. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula accused the initiative of being a political project aimed at undermining the party. The SACP says it strongly rejects this posture as arrogant and indicative of an inward-looking and self-glorifying tendency of those in high positions in the ANC at this time.

# The municipal union Samwu says governance and labour relations in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape are deteriorating, leaving workers in unsafe conditions without proper equipment or support. According to the union, ongoing leadership instability, vandalised facilities, and delays in disciplinary cases are disrupting service delivery and violating workers’ rights. Samwu’s regional secretary, Siphokazi Lobishe, criticised the municipality for failing to finalise key structures and job evaluations.

# US president Donald Trump has suggested that there is still hope for a deal with Iran, but warned that Tehran’s efforts to outlast him won’t work. According to a report, the memorandum of understanding being negotiated calls for American military forces to withdraw from Tehran’s vicinity and the lifting of the blockade of Iranian ports in return for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels. During a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Trump said they are not satisfied with the current deal:

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has announced 26 players who will represent South Africa at the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The squad contains three goalkeepers headed by captain Ronwen Williams, eleven defenders, including uncapped 22-year-old Olwethu Makhanya, four midfielders, and eight strikers. Other players who have made the squad include Lyle Foster, Bradley Cross, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Jayden Adams. Broos says there were some hard decisions he had to make:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-42-cents and the euro at 19-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-1-cents and Bitcoin trades at 74-thousand-70-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-417-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Eskom says three young South African scientists will represent the country at the International Mathematics, Science and Engineering Fair in Turkey next month. They will present projects on rocket science, climate impacts on fish, and advanced mathematical modelling. The delegation includes learners from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and the Free State. Their research ranges from improving small-scale rocket motor design to studying the effects of rising water temperatures on fish and analysing prime number patterns linked to Goldbach’s Conjecture.

Stay tuned for more news………….