News 17:00

 BULLETIN 7 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A trapped construction worker describes the dismay amid the George building collapse
# Saftu calls for government investment in the Post Office to prevent retrenchments
# And rugby: The Junior Boks lose to Australia after a red card

# One of the construction workers trapped in a collapsed building in George, Delvin Safers, has described the harrowing ordeal as frightening. The 29-year-old from Mossel Bay was working as an electrician on the construction site in Victoria Street when it collapsed, killing six colleagues. Safers told News24 that amid darkness and dust, he remains hopeful of survival. Meanwhile, the Western Cape Disaster Management Centre reports ongoing rescue operations involving multiple teams, including sniffer dogs. Authorities continue searching for 48 people.

# Union federation Saftu urges government to invest in the South African Post Office to prevent looming retrenchments. The organisation and its affiliate, the Democratic Postal and Communication Workers Union, express disappointment over the failure of the Temporary Employment Relief Scheme application, intended to delay retrenchments while seeking long-term solutions. Saftu’s Trevor Shaku demands at least 30-percent of the postal services budget to support SAPO:

# Zimbabwe’s parliament has initiated nationwide consultations on the scrapping of the death penalty, aligning with global norms. The consultation will see aggravated murder convicts still face capital punishment. Currently, 63 inmates await execution on death row. Zimbabwe carried out its last executions in 2005. Since independence in 1980, 79 people have been executed. Human rights groups have welcomed the move towards ending capital punishment, stating it reflects evolving international standards.

# Rugby: The Junior Springboks lost 24-19 to hosts Australia in their Under 20 Rugby Championship match on the Sunshine Coast. The Baby Boks had to play with 14 men for 20 minutes after loosehead prop Mbasa Maqubela was red-carded halfway through the first half, while handling was very difficult in the wet conditions. The Baby Wallabies scored two tries and a penalty try while Litelihle Bester scored twice for the Junior Boks and JF van Heerden once. Earlier, the young All Blacks defeated Argentina 43-20.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-45-cents and the euro at 19-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-705-dollars-49-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-322-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

# And, finally: Food prices are showing signs of stabilising, but concerns persist regarding their impact on food security. The Competition Commission’s latest report indicates that while food inflation is at its lowest since September 2020, ongoing challenges such as load-shedding, transport issues, and droughts continue to affect prices. Despite disruptions like the avian flu outbreak, some relief is seen, particularly with the stabilising prices of sunflower oil and brown bread. Canned pilchards are gaining popularity as a protein source amid rising costs, offering affordability and convenience to consumers.

Stay tuned for more news………….