News 13:00

BULLETIN 7 May 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The rescue operation at the collapsed building in George will take longer than anticipated
# The MK Party founder urges the IEC to urgently remove Zuma from party representation
# And, tennis: Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal will start his Italian Open campaign against a qualifier

# Western Cape premier Alan Winde says the operation to rescue 49 workers trapped in a collapsed building in George is expected to take longer than anticipated, due to the complexity of the situation. The official death toll now stands at six.  Winde says it’s crucial to adopt a meticulous and thorough strategy to ensure the safety of those trapped as well as the well-being of rescue workers:

# uMkhonto we Sizwe party founder, Jabulani Khumalo, has formally requested the Electoral Commission to promptly remove Jacob Zuma as the party’s representative and from its parliamentary candidate list. In a letter to the former president, Khumalo has placed him on precautionary suspension, alleging his actions detrimental to the party’s reputation. Khumalo clarified that Zuma’s involvement was solely advisory and fundraising, not as a formal member. He says Zuma’s continued association has led to confusion with the public and in party membership.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law two bills aimed at bolstering financial resources for South Africa’s multiparty democracy. The Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill, with a net movement of 290-million-rand, allocates additional funds to various departments, including 200-million-rand to the Department of Home Affairs for the Represented Political Parties Fund. The Electoral Matters Amendment Bill regulates private and public funding for independent candidates and representatives, ensuring equitable support for all electoral participants.

# Tennis: Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal will start his Italian Open campaign against a qualifier this week. The Spaniard clinched his tenth title in Rome in 2021 and was eliminated in the round of 16 in ’22, while injuries kept him out last year. He traditionally uses the tournament as final preparation for the French Open, which he had won a record 14 times. World number one, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, has a bye in the first round and will face Russian Roman Safiullin or a qualifier in the second.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-86-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-292-dollars-19-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-316-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the City of Cape Town has unveiled its new crime-fighting aerial surveillance technology. The city’s information, surveillance and reconnaissance technology, commonly referred to as Eye-in-the-Sky, is a two-seater piloted aircraft fitted with state-of-the-art cameras. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the technology will take information gathering to the next level in the fight against gang incidents, poaching, vehicle theft, other criminal activities, and vegetation fires:

Stay tuned for more news………….