News 13:00

BULLETIN 1 November 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mantashe praises Ramaphosa’s leadership in the ANC’s election campaign
# Defend Our Democracy urges voters to turn their frustration over poor service delivery into active participation
# And: Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a birthday letter to Epstein is dismissed

# ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe has praised president Cyril Ramaphosa for leading the party’s local government election campaign from the front. He delivered the keynote address at the ANC Siyanqoba Presidential fundraising Gala Dinner in the Eastern Cape yesterday evening, ahead of the party’s final Siyanqoba rally today. Mantashe described the campaign as formidable and urged the movement to acknowledge the work behind it:

Meanwhile, Defend Our Democracy warns that declining trust in local government and political leaders should not lead South Africans to not vote in the local government elections. The organisation’s executive director Wade Manning says residents must use their votes to demand reliable water, electricity and accountable leadership. Defend Our Democracy will deploy more than two-thousand-600 trained citizen observers across all nine provinces to monitor the elections on Wednesday. Manning has urged voters to report electoral irregularities, intimidation and misinformation.

# Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says affordable electricity is essential for Africa’s industrialisation and economic development. He addressed the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation’s annual Drakensberg forum yesterday. Ramokgopa described electricity as a public good, not merely a tool for private profit. He highlighted that South Africa can attract energy-intensive digital infrastructure, including data centres, by harnessing its renewable energy potential to meet growing artificial intelligence demands, while supporting economic growth:

# The Eastern Cape Transport Department is urging motorists to exercise extra caution after 18 people died in three separate crashes over seven days. The latest accident claimed six lives when a truck carrying about 30 passengers overturned on a gravel road in Bizana yesterday morning. Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha has described the rising number of fatalities as deeply distressing. He says every life matters, and everyone has the responsibility to make roads safer.

# A US federal judge has dismissed president Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal. He had sued the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper for around 167-billion-rand last year, over its reporting on his alleged birthday letter to the late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denied writing it and accused The Journal of knowingly publishing a false story. Judge Darri Gayles ruled that Trump failed to plausibly allege that the newspaper acted with “actual malice” when it published the story.

# And motorsport: The seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix. His last pole was at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. He edged out Mercedes’ George Russell, who will start today’s race in second, with Hamilton’s teammate Charles Leclerc in third. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who is on the brink of becoming Formula One’s youngest-ever world champion, will start fourth and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in fifth. Hamilton says getting pole with Ferrari is special:

Stay tuned for more news………….