News 13:00

BULLETIN 11 May 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The George municipality seeks help from Chewa, Portuguese and Shona speakers as another worker is found alive
# A High Court declares the appointment of the Knysna municipal manager null and void 
# And, tennis: Dominic Thiem plans to end his career in Vienna in October

# The George Municipality in the Western Cape is appealing for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese and Shona to come forward. Rescuers are still working tirelessly to get to the 40 people unaccounted for following the collapse of an apartment building which was being completed in Victoria Street on Monday. They are trying to potential open spaces where victims may be trapped. The practitioners are being sought to assists the anxious families at the scene. The death toll remained at 13 late this morning.

Meanwhile Western Cape premier Alan Winde says in what can only be described as the miracle everybody had been waiting for, rescue teams at the collapsed building site in George have found a trapped worker alive. In a possible first for South Africa, the worker was found alive 116 hours after the collapse on Monday. Rescue teams are communicating with him and it will take some time to remove him. Trauma doctors are on site to ensure he receives all the medical support needed.

# The High Court in Cape Town has declared the Knysna Municipality’s council’s appointment of Ombali Sebola as municipal manager in January last year unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. The DA pursued legal action due to Sebola’s lack of qualifications and unsuitability. The party’s Dion George says his tenure as municipal manager for Modimolle-Mookgophong Local Municipality in Limpopo resulted in bankruptcy, and he fled before facing legal consequences:

# The United Democratic Movement is deeply concerned about the recent tragedies involving the deaths of school children. Five children died recently after ingesting poison and another boy also took his own life last year after being bullied for being gay. The UDM’s Yongama Zigebe says these heartbreaking incidents underscore the critical importance of prioritising mental health care at schools:

# Tennis: Dominic Thiem of Austria plans to quit later this year, hoping he would be fit enough to play until the Vienna Open in his homeland in October. The 30-year-old reached a career-high world ranking of three in 2020, but injuries curtailed his career and his current ranking is 117th. His best performance was winning the American Open in 2020. Two other veterans are expected to retire this year: 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal of Spain, and two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray of Scotland.

# And finally: President Cyril Ramaphosa has learned with great sadness of the passing of struggle veteran, former Robben Island prisoner and longstanding PAC member, Kwedi Mzingisi Zilindile Mkhalipi. The 90-year-old was an operative in the PAC’s underground movement and took part in the 1960 protest march in Cape Town. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says Mkhalipi was charged with sabotage in 1965 and sentenced to 20 years on Robben Island:

Stay tuned for more news………….