News 12:00

BULLETIN 7 May 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The FF Plus says the ANC’s obsession with achieving equal outcomes exacerbates poverty
# The MK Party is calling for lifestyle audits and the declaration of assets by judges
# And rugby: The Junior Boks’ coach is disappointed at their performance against Australia

# The Freedom Front Plus says it recognises the potential of leveraging industrialisation and trade to promote decent work and social justice in South Africa, but the ANC’s current approach and policies undermine this ideal. The party’s Heloïse Denner says the ANC’s obsession with achieving equal outcomes, at the expense of equal opportunities, exacerbates poverty and unemployment. She says legislations such as the Employment Equity Act create barriers to job creation, while investment opportunities are lost due to poor governance:

# The MK Party is calling for the immediate implementation of lifestyle audits and the declaration of assets for all members of the judiciary. It says South Africa cannot afford to have a judiciary that is shielded from the same transparency expected of other arms of state. The MK Party says citizens deserve to know who funds the lavish lifestyles of some judges, how do some accumulate unexplained wealth on public salaries, and if judicial decisions are ever influenced by relationships or financial interests.

# The Department of Home Affairs’ move to end its partnership with the State Information Technology Agency has ignited a public disagreement. The department cites frequent system outages, procurement delays, and high costs as reasons for seeking alternative IT service providers. However, SITA says it has delivered on commitments and invested in infrastructure upgrades. According to News24, the standoff has raised concerns about potential disruptions to critical government services and the future of public IT procurement in South Africa.

# Cardinals have gathered in the Vatican City, entering seclusion as they prepare to elect a new pope following Francis’s death on 21 April. The conclave, commencing in the Sistine Chapel today, involves 133 cardinal electors under the age of 80. Singapore cardinal William Seng Chye Goh says they will remain isolated, adhering to strict secrecy protocols, until a successor is chosen by a two-thirds majority:

# Rugby: Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has expressed disappointment at their second-half performance against Australia in the second round of the Under-20 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha. Australia overturned a 17-point deficit in a strong second-half performance to beat South Africa 29-24. Foote says their discipline and play at the breakdowns were a major problem they will need to address ahead of Sunday’s clash against New Zealand:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-28-cents and the euro at 20-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-41-cents and Bitcoin trades at 96-thousand-939-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-386-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 62-dollars-87-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….