News 16:00

BULLETIN 14 May 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA prepares a legal challenge against the NHI Bill 
# An energy analyst warns Eskom is not out of the woods yet despite improvements 
# And athletics: A court is to deliver a final verdict on Caster Semenya’s testosterone case 

# The DA has announced its intention to challenge the National Health Insurance Bill in the Constitutional Court. This comes after president Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement he would sign the bill into law tomorrow. The party claims the bill’s implementation would severely harm the healthcare system and economy. DA leader John Steenhuisen pledges to repeal the legislature if elected in this month’s general election, and argues the ANC’s plan is designed to loot taxpayer money:

Staying with election matters, the Electoral Commission has confirmed that approximately 76-thousand voters living abroad will participate in the election this weekend. Chief electoral official Sy Mamabolo also announced two voting days for the United Kingdom on 18 and 19 May, due to high voter numbers at 24-thousand. One-hundred-and-eleven foreign nations will participate, having received the necessary voting materials. Mamabolo confirmed that voting hours are from 7 AM to 7 PM, with extensions to aid voters:

# Energy analyst Chris Yelland warns that Eskom is not out of the woods yet despite recent improvements in the energy availability factor. He emphasises that short-term gains do not guarantee sustained progress, and cautioned against assuming the crisis is over. While acknowledging a positive trend, Yelland stresses the importance of consistent performance and warns of potential setbacks. Despite a decrease in diesel usage, Yelland insists that ongoing vigilance and effective management are crucial to ensure long-term stability in South Africa’s power supply.

Meanwhile, the bulk of City Power in Johannesburg’s budget is set to assist the utility to move ahead with plans to reduce reliance on Eskom. Mayoral committee member for Finance Dada Morero announced a 22-billion-rand operational budget for preventative maintenance and the increase of buying power. During his budget speech, he highlighted that electricity is the city’s largest revenue source, expected to generate 21.5-billion-rand in the current financial year. Morero also announced the fast-tracking of the integrated energy resource plan:

# Athletics: The European Court of Human Rights is tomorrow set to make its final decision on Caster Semenya’s legal battle over testosterone regulations. The double Olympic 800 metres champion is challenging the requirement to lower her testosterone levels in order to compete. She won a previous ruling, with the court finding discrimination in the earlier decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Semenya argues the regulations violate her dignity and human rights.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-40-cents and the euro at 19-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-87-dollars-42-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-346-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….