News 08:00

NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 13 November 8 am

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In this bulletin:

# Defend Our Democracy says minister Motsoaledi must explain why the electoral reform panel is not yet appointed
# The ACDP says the special economic zone programme falls short of its intended purpose
# And, the Cape Town mayor condemns the disruption of a pro-Israel protest

# The Defend Our Democracy movement is calling on Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi to explain why he has failed to meet the deadline to appoint an Electoral Reform Consultation Panel. It was meant to have been appointed by 19 October. The Defend Our Democracy activist Nicole Fritz says they believe Motsoaledi’s failure to establish the panel in the time frame prescribed by law has a direct impact on its effectiveness:

Play sound: ENG NicoleonMotsoaledi

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has published the Game Meat Strategy for South Africa in the Government Gazette for implementation. The strategy aims to strengthen the game meat sector as both a provider of food security and an economic growth sector that can help create. The department says effective implementation of the strategy will contribute towards the conservation and sustainable utilisation of the country’s biodiversity while addressing economic, social, and environmental problems such as poverty, climate change, and food insecurity.

# The ACDP notes that the Special Economic Zone Programme, as part of the Reimagined Industrial Strategy, was meant to stimulate local and foreign direct investment. But worryingly, it is falling far short of its intended purpose, with the admission that the manufacturing base is in decline. The ACDP’s Wayne Thring is calling on minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, to engage with the relevant ministries for the development of a government-led vocational training strategy to ensure the supply of sector-specific skills that will drive industrialisation.

# Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has condemned Palestinian supporters clashing with police during a counter-protest against Israel supporters in Sea Point yesterday. Videos of the chaos doing the rounds on social media showed a heavy police presence with stun guns and water cannons deployed to disperse the crowds. Seven people have been arrested and face charges of public violence. Hill-Lewis says protests in Cape Town over the Israel-Palestine conflict have been an example of peacefulness, with very few exceptions:

Play sound: ENG LewisOnPeacefulProtests

# Tennis: Novak Djokovic has clinched the year-end number one ranking for a record-extending eighth time, after his first-round match win at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. The Serb defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 in the Green Group to record his 19th consecutive tour-level win. Italy’s Jannik Sinner also won his opening match in the Green Group, beating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic, who is chasing a record seventh ATP title, says it means a lot finishing the year as world number one:

Play sound: ENG DjokovicOnWorldNumberOne

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-75-cents and the euro at 20-rand-5-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-94-cents and Bitcoin trades at 36-thousand-937-dollars-50-cents. Gold sells at one-thousand-935-dollars-32-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….