News 08:00

NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY 18 November 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The government calls on citizens to register to vote this weekend
# AfriForum urges the devolution of policing power in response to the alarming crime statistics
# And, Melinda Gates delivers the Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture in Cape Town

# The Government Communication and Information System urges all eligible voters to register for the upcoming national and provincial elections. The Independent Electoral Commission will host its first special voter registration weekend today and tomorrow. South Africans, aged 16-years and older, can register, update details, or verify information at all voting stations from 8 AM to 5 PM. The Department of Home Affairs will assist eligible voters in obtaining identity cards for registration. Government urges citizens to maintain a democratic environment and a peaceful voter registration weekend.

# AfriForum calls for the devolution of policing power in response to the distressing crime statistics released by Police minister Bheki Cele. The organisation criticised the South African Police Service’s leadership for a lack of solutions to daily murders and cites political interference, corruption, and insufficient training. AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk says the organization advocates for decentralising policing powers to provinces and regions, for unique strategies to combat varied crimes. Broodryk urges community involvement for enhanced public safety:

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# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse says corporate taxpayers harbour mistrust toward the South African Revenue Service due to perceived government corruption. OUTA conducted a business survey and sought public input through social media, revealing overwhelming criticism of SARS as a revenue collector for a government marred by corruption. Respondents suggested digital systems for transparent revenue tracking, lifestyle audits for politicians, investigations into high-profile figures, and measures to curb tax evasion. The public calls for improved tax collection from corruption-prone sectors for SARS to regain public trust.

# Rugby: The Bulls lost their top position on the United Rugby Championship league table last night and moved to third place, due to ill-discipline and two men short in their last tour game against the Scottish club, Edinburgh. The captain, Marcell Coetzee, was red-carded in the 42nd minute for a head-high tackle, while Cameron Hanekom was sin-binned for collapsing a maul. Sergeal Petersen was also sin-binned in the last minutes of the match. Edinburgh won 31-23. Ulster moved to the top of the URC league table last night, after beating the Lions 24 -17 in Belfast.

# And finally: International philanthropist Melinda Gates has praised the late archbishop Desmond Tutu as the embodiment of peace. Gates delivered a keynote address at the 13th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Hosted by the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, the event centered around the theme ‘Unlocking Women’s Power for Peace and Prosperity.’ The lecture celebrated the remarkable stories of women who played crucial roles in the anti-apartheid struggle, highlighting 90 impactful stories:

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Stay tuned for more news………….