News 17:00

BULLETIN 5 November 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party is confident as it prepares for possible coalition talks
# France is hit by fresh protests and strikes as Macron seeks to contain the unrest
# And soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo announces his international retirement

# MK Party first deputy president Duduzane Zuma says the party is quietly confident about its performance in the 2026 local government elections but believes it is too early to celebrate. Zuma says the party has teams in place and is better prepared for possible coalition negotiations than it was in 2024. He says the MK Party will engage with parties that share its values and policies including improving the country’s economy:

# The Public Servants Association raises concern over the subtle and systematic downsizing of the Public Service through voluntary exits, abolition and non-filling of posts, and redistribution of functions to overburdened employees. The PSA’s Claude Naicker says abolishing a post does not abolish the work, warning this creates a hollowed-out service. He urged government to tackle corruption, procurement abuse and waste instead of cutting capacity needed for delivery:

# The Western Cape Education Department says the final matric exams have reached the halfway mark, with candidates having completed 95 of the 190 scheduled papers. The department thanked exam officials and schools for keeping the process on track despite community violence and transport disruptions. However, 12 candidates have been caught with examination irregularities, including possession of cellphones and crib notes. Education MEC Jaco Londt warns cheating could result in a three-exam ban:  

# Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across France today, as trade unions and student groups stage nationwide protests and strikes. They are demanding action over rising living costs, deteriorating public services and conditions in schools. President Emmanuel Macron held a security meeting on Wednesday, as the government tries to prevent a repeat of violent riots and looting last month. Around 70-thousand police officers have been deployed nationwide. Disruptions are expected to public transport, rail services and schools, while power workers are also joining the strike.

# Soccer: Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international soccer, bringing his 23-year career with the national team to an end. The 41-year-old made the announcement on social media, saying it was time to hand back Portugal’s number seven shirt. Ronaldo made 234 appearances for his country and scored a record 146 goals. He captained Portugal to victory at the 2016 European Championship and helped the team win the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He is not retiring from club football and remains with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr. 

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-39-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-61-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-118-dollars-98-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 100-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….