News 12:00

BULLETIN 6 May 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC says it stands firm against the DA’s attack on the Employment Equity Act
# Business Leadership SA says the only way forward for the budget is to reduce expenditure
# And a woman is remanded in custody after appearing in connection with the torching of Kelly Smith’s dwelling

# The ANC in Parliament says the DA’s court challenge of the Employment Equity Amendment Act is a direct attack on the progress South Africa has made towards building a more just and equitable society. The High Court in Pretoria is today hearing the DA’s challenge of the act, which it argues discriminates unfairly and unconstitutionally. ANC chief whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli, says in the Western Cape, where the DA holds power, the implementation of the act is significantly behind that of national government departments, underscoring the party’s resistance to meaningful change.

# Business Leadership South Africa says if the country wants to achieve sustainable public spending, growth that generates government revenue is needed. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana is set to table the national budget in Parliament for the third time on the 21st. BLSA’s CEO, Busiswe Mavuso, told Newzroom Afrika while it is good that the budget is subject to democratic interrogation, government must show they have the political bravery to make decisions that won’t please everyone:

# A woman accused of torching the informal dwelling of a West Coast mother convicted of the kidnapping and trafficking of her own daughter, will return to court for a bail hearing on Monday. Monique Kekana is also a resident of the Middelpos settlement in Saldanha Bay where Kelly Smith lived before her arrest for the disappearance of six-year-old Joslin. Kekana appeared in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was remanded in custody. The dwelling burnt down hours after Smith and her two co-accused were found guilty on Friday.

# Motorsport: Formula One team, Alpine, is reportedly considering dropping Jack Doohan from the upcoming Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in Italy. The 22-year-old rookie is yet to score points this season. The Australian was forced to retire from the Miami Grand Prix after a collision with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. Pierre Gasly has scored all seven of Alpine’s 2025 points so far. Reserve driver Franco Colapinto, who raced for Williams in nine races last year, is reportedly set to replace Doohan.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-22-cents and the euro at 20-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 94-thousand-68-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-380-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-24-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Stars ascended the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in New York for the biggest night in fashion, the Met Gala. This year’s theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. Some of the notable celebrities included Rihanna, who wore a Marc Jacobs dress, Simone Biles in a blue Harbison Studio dress, a nod to the impact of indigo in black culture, and Ayo Edebiri’s outfit, inspired by Nigerian culture. Gala co-chair Pharrell Williams says his inspiration is the black men of the working class:

Stay tuned for more news………….