News 15:00
BULLETIN 24 May 3 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Political parties are gearing up for their final submissions to voters ahead of next week’s elections
# President Cyril Ramaphosa highlights the GBV and Femicide Bill will ensure women’s safety and security
# And rugby: An opportunity for the Sharks to win a European title tonight
# Political parties are gearing up for their final push for votes ahead of next week’s elections. The ANC, DA, EFF, and ActionSA are holding their final rallies this weekend. Analysts say while campaigns have been vigorous, many promises made to voters are unscrupulous. One analyst, Sanusha Naidu, criticized the disingenuous nature of the campaigns, stating that parties make so many promises without engaging genuinely with communities. Another analyst, Dirk Kotzé, echoed this sentiment, lamenting that voters bear the brunt of these misleading promises.
# President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill into law at the Union Buildings. First introduced in 2022, this legislation aims to address high rates of gender-based violence and femicide. Ramaphosa emphasised that the bill ensures the safety of women, supports survivors, holds perpetrators accountable, and promotes gender equality. He says the new council will coordinate efforts across sectors to combat GBV and femicide:
# The Free Market Foundation is urging the new Parliament to adopt legislation codifying all South Africa’s criminal law, given the country’s high rates of violent crime. The proposed Criminal Code Bill aims to define criminal conduct clearly and address the nation’s pressing crime issues. The bill is part of the foundation’s Section 12 Initiative, which also advocates for decentralisation of criminal justice responsibilities. Head of Policy Martin van Staden will unpack the draft Criminal Code Bill in the coming week.
# Rugby: The Sharks will be the first South African team to play in a European professional club tournament final tonight, when they face Gloucester in the Challenge Cup in London. The Sharks go into the decider on the back of the poorest United Rugby Championship campaign by a South African team, where they won only four of their 17 games. Springbok loosehead prop Ox Nché, who will play his 50th match for the Durban team, says the Sharks can still turn it into a successful season tonight:
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-37-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-37-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-409-dollars-41-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-339-dollars-35-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-99-cents a barrel.
# And finally: Rock n Roll music legend Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Fellowship of the Ivor’s Academy during the Ivor Novello Awards in London. He is only the 27th person to receive this honour, joining the likes of Elton John, Joan Armatrading, John Barry, Kate Bush, and Paul McCartney. Springsteen has sold more than 140 million records and won an Oscar, a Tony, and 20 Grammy awards. His famous hits include Born To Run, Thunder Road, Hungry Heart, and Born In The USA.
Stay tuned for more news………….