News 09:00

BULLETIN 28 April 9 amm

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA leader says the elections are about economic freedom
# Pro-Palestinian university protests spread
# And, canoeing: The McGregor family dominates the Freedom paddle

# DA leader John Steenhuisen says if the 1994 election was about political freedom, the 2024 election is about economic freedom. Steenhuisen delivered the party’s Freedom Day speech during his Rescue South Africa Tour in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal. He stressed expropriating people’s property without compensation will bring only more economic unfreedom, and said nationalising banks, mines and industries is a recipe for the same. According to Steenhuisen, taking away people’s savings and pensions through prescribed assets will limit economic freedom even more.

In Soweto, RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi called on South Africans to vote for leaders who will work to ensure all citizens have true freedom, not what he describes as the ANC’s oppressive regime. Ziba spoke during the party’s Freedom Day commemorations at the Hector Pieterson Museum in Orlando. He says because of a corrupt and unethical political establishment, the freedom road has been abandoned:

# Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue in universities across the United States, as they also spread to schools in Europe and Australia. In the second week of protests for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war, which has killed more than 34-thousand Palestinians, students called for divestment from Israel. Aljazeera reports some universities have been forced to cancel their graduation ceremonies, while others have seen entire buildings occupied by protesting students.

# Canoeing: Hank and Pippa McGregor proved to be the power couple of South African paddling as they notched up respective wins in the men’s and women’s races at the 27-kilometre Freedom Paddle around Robben Island yesterday. Hank McGregor and his partner Josh Fenn crushed all opposition up front to finish in a time of one-hour, 58-minutes and 14-seconds. Pippa McGregor and Kira Bester beat a strong women’s field to notch up their first victory together, powering home in two-hours, 13-minutes and 43-seconds.

# And finally: The National Sea Rescue Institute has been commended for the rescue of 22 Cape Town fishermen in difficult conditions several kilometres off-shore from the port of Table Bay. NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Table Bay duty crews were placed on alert earlier this weekend when a long line fishing trawler was taking on water. The NSRI’s Craig Lambinon says the situation was deteriorating as sea conditions were changing:

Stay tuned for more news………….