News 12:00

BULLETIN 22 May 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The FF Plus says South Africans deserve better than what the ANC has delivered over the past 30 years
# The International Energy Agency warns the global oil market could enter the danger zone by July
# And soccer: Hugo Broos names a 32-man prelimanry Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup

# The Freedom Front Plus says the country is on the brink of ruin after more than three decades of ANC rule. The party officially launched its registration campaign in Centurion ahead of the local government elections in November. FF Plus leader Corné Mulder says incompetence and corruption have eroded state institutions and caused municipalities to collapse. He says local government, the cornerstone of service delivery, is in an existential crisis because municipalities are bankrupt and dysfunctional. Mulder adds South Africans deserve better than what the ANC has delivered.

# The Gauteng Health Department says forensic pathology centres in Pretoria, Diepkloof, and Hillbrow have resumed operations after employee protest action disrupted services earlier this week. The strike left many families unable to collect the bodies of their loved ones, causing delays to burial arrangements. The department’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says they are committed to addressing the concerns raised through appropriate internal processes:

# The Public Servants Association is concerned over reports that the Government Employees Medical Scheme has warned that its solvency could fall below the legally prescribed threshold amidst proposed fee adjustments. PSA’s Claude Naicker says any attempt, directly or implied, to shift responsibility onto public servants for a self-inflicted crisis arising from governance and management failures in GEMS, must be condemned:

Moving abroad:

# The International Energy Agency warns should there be no progress on ending the Middle Eastern war, the oil market risks will enter a red zone by the end of July. Attacks on energy infrastructure and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have removed more than 14-million barrels of Middle Eastern oil supply per day. Executive director Fatih Birol says this war has created the largest supply crisis in history:

# Soccer: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has announced a 32-man preliminary squad for the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. There are seven overseas-based players in the squad, including Lyle Foster and Olwethu Makhanya. Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates have nine players each, and Bradley Cross and Olwethu Makhanye are among the fresh faces selected. Broos will announce the final squad on Wednesday. South Africa is in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, South Korea and the Czech Republic.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-47-cents and the euro at 19-rand-12-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-13-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-430-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-526-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 102-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….