News 11:00

BULLETIN 1 May 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa urges voters to decide the election outcomes
# BOSA pushes for equal pay reforms as public input period opens
# And tennis, Andreeva fends off Baptiste challenge to reach Madrid Open final

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africans will determine election outcomes in the 4 November local government polls. Speaking on the likelihood of coalition governments, Ramaphosa emphasised that it is the ballot not the leaders to decide the outcome. Ramaphosa says government will respect the people’s decisions and continue serving regardless of the results. He added that cooperation and collaboration remain essential in governing municipalities where no outright majority is achieved:

Meanwhile the MK Party has criticised Ramaphosa’s announcement of the local elections date. Spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela raised concerns about the Independent Electoral Commission, citing alleged system disruptions and irregularities during the 2024 elections. The party is still challenging the results in court and has called for accountability, warning that public confidence in future elections could be undermined.

# Build One South Africa says its Fair Pay Bill has been officially gazetted for public input. Marking Workers’ Day, the party states the proposed law seeks to tackle pay inequality by banning employers from using salary history, requiring salary ranges in job adverts, and strengthening equal pay for equal work. BOSA’s Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster says the reforms aim to improve transparency and fairness in the job market, especially for young people and previously disadvantaged groups:

# The GOOD Party says the ruling by the High Court in the Western Cape should be used as an opportunity for the City of Cape Town to reform its tariff system and redesign its budget. The party’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, argues that the municipality should not pursue an appeal but instead develop a new approach that complies with the law and ensures residents are charged based on actual usage of services:

# The family of late former Zambian president Edgar Lungu has welcomed a Pretoria High Court ruling to move his body to an AVBOB mortuary in Pretoria East. Spokesperson Makebi Zulu says the decision will help resolve misunderstandings, while the burial dispute continues before the Supreme Court. He says that access to the body will be restricted to immediate family, with any other parties required to seek court approval:

# And finally tennis: A disciplined Mirra Andreeva saw off a late challenge from Hailey Baptiste to prevail 6-4, 7-6 in a battle of nerves on Thursday to reach the final of the Madrid Open. Baptiste had shocked world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, but the 24-year-old struggled against ninth seed Andreeva. Andreeva, who turned 19 on Wednesday, will face Marta Kostyuk after the Ukrainian beat Anastasia Potapova 6-2 1-6 6-1 in the second semifinal.  Kostyuk will now play in her first WTA 1000 final.

Stay tuned for more news………….