News 09:00

BULLETIN 3 May 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA criticises minister Thembi Simelane about her silence over the report on the collapse of a George building
# The GOOD Party slams the George building collapse oversight as a staged show
# And, SANParks will continue ground assessment of the fire damage at Silvermine in the Table Mountain National Park

# The DA in the Western Cape says all government reports into the George building collapse will face continued oversight. The party has accused Human Settlements minister Thembi Simelane of backtracking on her public statement that the National Home Builders Registration Council report into last year’s tragedy that claimed 34 lives was final. The DA’s Dirk Wessels urged Simelane to provide a clear and unambiguous public statement on the report’s status and its finalisation:

Meanwhile, GOOD’s Brett Herron has also blasted the Western Cape’s government oversight of the George building collapse, calling it a hollow performance. Herron says victims’ families were disrespected as Parliament’s Standing Committee on Infrastructure failed to produce final reports or question key officials. Herron says the province cited vague legal advice. He demands full transparency, summoning of investigators, and accountability for the 2024 tragedy:

# South African National Parks says it’s continuing with ground assessments of fire damage at Silvermine in Table Mountain National Park in the Western Cape. This follows delays in completing aerial surveys due to poor weather. Several hiking routes remain closed. SANParks spokesperson Charles Phahlane says most boardwalks were destroyed by the blaze, and damaged railings and trail pins must still be removed before more areas can reopen:

# Thousands of people were moved to higher ground in the coastal areas of Chile and Argentina after Chilean authorities issued a tsunami warning following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake off the country’s southern coast. The US Geological Survey said its epicentre was 219 kilometres from Ushuaia in Argentina, the world’s most southerly city. The earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. Some 32 people also followed evacuation procedures in Chile’s Antarctic research bases. Chile is often affected by earthquakes, with three tectonic plates converging within its territory.

# And finally netball: Netball South Africa has defended its governance following Parliament’s grilling over World Cup finances and president Cecilia Molokwane’s suspension. Netball SA have raised questions over unfair treatment and gender-based discrimination on the all-female leadership past finances. Netball SA claims they were pressured to answer complex financial queries on the spot, despite parliamentary rules allowing time for verification. They argue the interrogation style undermined fair governance and targeted their leadership unfairly due to gender.

Stay tuned for more news………….