News 09:00

BULLETIN 20 May 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The GOOD Party will not support a budget without the Social Relief of Distress Grant
# The DA criticises the police and NPA for abandoning the Cwecwe investigation
# And Trump says Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations

# The GOOD Party says it will not support a budget that does not retain the Social Relief of Distress Grant, adding that there can be no compromise on the state’s duty to support the vulnerable. On Wednesday, Finance minister Enoch Godongwana is set to table the third version of the national budget in as many months. GOOD’s secretary general, Brett Herron, says the budget process has been chaotic and exclusionary, exposing how ill-suited the current budget-making framework is:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has hailed the launch of the Review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government as an important step towards more accountable and efficient local governments. The review aims to solve the overarching issues facing local municipalities, including limited funding and a lack of professional skills and transparency. Committee chairperson Zweli Mkhize says this review provides an important pause to reinvigorate and chart a new trajectory of growth, development and efficiency for municipalities.

# The DA says it finds it unacceptable that the police and the National Prosecuting Authority allowed public pressure and outrage influence the investigation into the alleged rape of Cwecwe in the Eastern Cape. The NPA has decided not to prosecute anyone for the rape of the seven-year-old girl, saying there was insufficient evidence upon which a successful prosecution could be instituted. The DA says it is inexcusable that the investigation was conducted without the requisite fear, favour or prejudice.

# US president Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine will begin peace negotiations immediately to end the war. He had a two-hour phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, describing the conversation as excellent. Putin said the phone call was meaningful and frank, however, adding that his country’s maximalist objectives in the war were unchanged. Trump says it is crucial that the US not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace:

# Soccer: The Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place on 22 September this year and the number of awards for women and men will be equal for the first time. Awards for best women’s goalkeeper, best young women’s player and the top women’s scorer have been added for the ceremony in Paris. There will be an additional prize, the Socrates Award, for actions that promote solidarity, which is open to men or women. The nominees will be announced in early August.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-9-cents and the euro at 20-rand-35-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-652-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-213-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-84-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….