News 11:00

BULLETIN 23 May 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula says the ANC has run a good election campaign
# The British Labour Party leader says the general election is an opportunity for change
# And Olympics: Sascoc says the right building blocks are in place for Team SA

# ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula says they have run a clean and good election campaign. The latest polling by the Social Research Foundation shows the ruling party has increased its share of the vote fairly significantly, while the DA appears to have lost some momentum. The ANC will hold its final Siyanqoba rally at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday. Mbalula says they have done all they can to ensure the ANC is given another chance to continue governing:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will sign two significant bills into law at the Union Buildings in Pretoria tomorrow, aimed at combating gender-based violence and corruption. The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill establishes a multi-sectoral approach to tackle GBV, prioritising the safety of women. The National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill establishes the Investigating Directorate against Corruption, focusing on serious corruption cases. This directorate, incorporating the existing one, will prioritise investigating serious corruption, commercial, or financial crimes.

# Britain’s Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has welcomed prime minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a general election, saying it is a moment the country needs and has been waiting for. The elections will be held on the fourth of July. The Guardian’s poll shows Labour 21.7 points ahead of Sunak’s Conservatives, with 44.7-percent of the vote to 22.9-percent. Starmer says his party wants to return Britain to the service of the working people:

# Olympics: The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee says it is confident they have put the right building blocks in place for the Paris Games, which start on the 26th of July. The first 39 athletes to represent Team South Africa at the Games were announced last week, including Chad le Clos, Tatjana Smith, and Wayde van Niekerk. Sascoc vice president, Lwandile Simelane, says they have full confidence in the team:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-37-cents and the euro at 19-rand-90-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-39-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-534-dollars-66-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-364-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-68-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the top 30 candidates who will compete for the Miss SA title have been revealed, with Gauteng leading with 14 contestants. This year’s diverse group of hopefuls range from a medical student to graduates, teachers, and a choreographer. One of the contestants is 28-year-old Mia le Roux from the Western Cape, who was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one. Others vying for the title include the runner-up in Miss Soweto in 2021, Ontshiametse Tlhopane, and Nompumelelo Maduna, who made the Miss SA top three in 2019.

Stay tuned for more news………….