News 14:00

BULLETIN 6 May 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA questions the legality of the new employment equity targets
# Charges are withdrawn against an Eastern Cape mother who killed her daughter’s alleged rapist
# And cricket: The ICC questions Cricket Canada’s hiring process of its controversial new CEO

# The DA argued in the High Court in Pretoria that government’s new employment equity targets are unlawful and unconstitutional. The party believes the Ministry of Employment and Labour overstepped its powers by setting rigid numerical targets without adequate consultation. The DA’s legal counsel, Ismail Jamie, told the court the targets fail to consider regional and sector-specific realities and could violate the rights to dignity and fair labour practices protected under the Constitution:

# The Lady Frere Magistrate’s Court has withdrawn charges against an Eastern Cape mother accused of killing a 65-year-old man who allegedly raped her disabled daughter. The incident occurred in Cacadu last month. Premier Oscar Mabuyane welcomed the court’s decision, calling it a case of defence, not murder. He praised the mother’s actions as protective, saying the real crime was the rape, not her response to it.

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Human Settlements says administrative failures at the National Home Builders Registration Council that led to the George building collapse, are regrettable. Speaking in Parliament on the tragedy’s first anniversary, chairperson Nocks Seabi urged swift prosecution of the developer who bypassed processes. He stressed that officials must be held accountable and the families of the 34 victims deserve justice without delay:

# Germany’s conservative leader has unexpectedly fallen short of the numbers needed to form a majority in Parliament to become chancellor. Friedrich Merz needed 316 votes in the 630-seat Bundestag but only secured 310, in a significant blow to the Christian Democrat leader, two and a half months after winning Germany’s federal elections. Merz’s failure in the first vote is seen as unprecedented in modern German history. The Bundestag will now have another 14 days to choose either Merz or another candidate as chancellor.

# The International Cricket Council has requested Cricket Canada to provide more information on how it hired its new CEO, Salman Khan, despite fraud and theft allegations levelled against him. He is facing criminal charges stemming from his time as president of the Calgary and District Cricket League. Khan and the league’s treasurer allegedly misappropriated funds between 2014 and 2016. He has denied any wrongdoing. The ICC also wants to know what action Cricket Canada has taken against Khan, if any.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-27-cents and the euro at 20-rand-68-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-35-cents and Bitcoin trades at 94-thousand-244-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-380-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 61-dollars-67-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….