News 08:00

BULLETIN 23 May 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COPE is confident of a resounding victory despite dwindling support
# Numsa opens an assault case against SA Steel Mills
# And Israel is considering further diplomatic steps against Norway, Ireland and Spain

# COPE says its ground forces have mobilised sufficiently from the South African electorate and are confident of a resounding election victory next week Wednesday. The party managed 7.42-percent support at the national polls in 2009, which declined to 0.67-percent in 2014 and 0.27-percent in the 2019 elections. COPE’s Secretary-General, Erick Mohlaphamaswi, says citizens deserve better than the abject poverty they live in, amid deepening economic and social inequalities:

# The Presidency says the government has moved to do away with some barriers to private electricity generation, resulting in massive investment. It has lauded the progress made through the Energy One Stop Shop to allow grid-connected private projects of any size to proceed without a licence. The pipeline of such projects currently represents a combined capacity of 22.5 gigawatts and an estimated investment value of 390-billion-rand. The Presidency says reform of the energy system has now also far advanced with the passage of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill.

# Metalworkers union Numsa says it has opened a case of assault against SA Steel Mills, trading as Alfeco Holdings. This comes after its members were shot at with rubber bullets by private security while picketing outside the company’s offices in Johannesburg yesterday. The union embarked on an indefinite strike after the steel producer fired 162 workers for participating in what the Labour Court ruled was a lawful strike last month. Numsa’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, says four workers have been hospitalised:

# The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly considering further diplomatic steps against Norway, Ireland, and Spain after they declared their intention to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel has already recalled its ambassadors from these three countries and is withholding vital funds from the Palestinian Authority. Further diplomatic steps under consideration include cancelling visits by officials from these countries to Israel, and revoking visas from the countries’ diplomats, which would limit their ability to visit areas in the West Bank.

# Cricket: Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in the eliminator of the Indian Premier League. Rajat Patidar top scored with 34 as RCB were restricted to 172 for eight. In reply, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 45 as Rajasthan reached the target with six balls to spare. Rajasthan will play Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday for the right to face Kolkata Knight Riders in Sunday’s final. Rajasthan captain, Sanju Samson, says the team is more confident now:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-29-cents and the euro at 19-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-349-dollars-50-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-370-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….