News 09:00

BULLETIN 14 May 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula criticises those who are working against the gains of freedom
# The FF Plus welcomes the blacklisting of underperforming contractors
# And Erik and Lyle Menendez are now eligible for parole

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the misrepresentation of the Expropriation Act is evidence that the beneficiaries of apartheid will not sleep. He made the remarks during his keynote address at the ANC’s Duma Nokwe Memorial Lecture, held in the Sedibeng Municipality in Gauteng on Tuesday. The DA is challenging the Act in court, saying it is unconstitutional. Mbalula says those who have taken the government to court for advancing employment equity are working overtime to reverse the gains of freedom:

# The African Transformation Movement says it is outraged at the catastrophic mismanagement of South Africa’s economy, underscored by an alarming rise in unemployment. The country’s unemployment rate has increased to 32.9-percent in the first quarter of this year from 31.9-percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. ATM’s spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, says high levels of unemployment and economic stagnation reveal a government of national unity that is both disconnected from reality and ineffective:

# The Freedom Front Plus in Tshwane says it fully supports the proposal that contractors who fail to meet the required standards be backlisted. This includes contractors who are dishonest about their capabilities, manipulate procurement processes, or abandon projects before completion. FF Plus’ Wesley Jacobs says the proposal was unanimously adopted by the metro council:

# A California judge has resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents, making them eligible for parole. The brothers acknowledged killing Kitty and Jose Menendez but said they acted out of self-defence after years of abuse. They were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Erik and Lyle, who are now 54 and 57 years old, have spent 35 years behind bars. The state’s parole board will have to decide their fate.

# Cricket: England selected five Indian Premier League players in their one-day squad to face the West Indies, including former captain Jos Buttler, but did not rule out allowing them to skip the series. A fixture clash looms after the lucrative T20 tournament was suspended last week as a result of deadly military exchanges between India and Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to stage the 17 outstanding matches following a ceasefire agreement, with the tournament due to end on 3 June.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-32-cents and the euro at 20-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 103-thousand-487-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-225-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-97-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….