News 18:00

BULLETIN 5 November 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Herman Mashaba says ActionSA is gaining ground among the forgotten South Africans
# Jacob Zuma says leadership positions in the MK Party do not belong to individuals
# And, soccer: The football world pays tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo

# The ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says preliminary election figures suggest his decision to leave Parliament and focus on communities is paying off. Speaking at the Electoral Commission’s results operation centre in Midrand, Mashaba said the forgotten people have spoken as the six-year-old party records increased backing. He also praised voters in Soweto and communities across the country for turning out in large numbers during the 2026 local government elections: 

# The Electoral Commission in KwaZulu-Natal says 35-percent of election results have been captured, while 25-percent have undergone independent auditing. Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga says power outages experienced in parts of eThekwini were resolved within an hour without disrupting voting. In addition, counting is continuing in 42 municipalities. She says the province recorded a 49-percent voter turnout, above the national average of 45-percent:

# MK Party first deputy president Duduzane Zuma says positions held by the party’s representatives belong to the organisation and not individuals. Speaking in Midrand, Gauteng, Zuma said the party will not hesitate to reshuffle its leadership when office bearers fail to meet expectations. He says this approach promotes accountability and ensures that those entrusted with positions deliver on their responsibilities. He adds that the principle will apply across government:

Moving abroad:

# Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Erdogan says officials are in contact with both sides to explore the possibility of hosting a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Turkey. The Kremlin says there are no concrete plans for a call between Putin and Erdogan, but one could be arranged at short notice. The diplomatic efforts come ahead of planned US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi next week.

# Soccer: Tributes are pouring in from across the world following Cristiano Ronaldo’s announcement that he is retiring from international soccer. Brazilian star Neymar summed up his reaction in a single word: “Legend”. Portugal team-mate Bruno Fernandes thanked Ronaldo for his inspiration, saying it was a privilege to share the national team dressing room with his childhood idol. Former clubs Manchester United and Juventus, along with FIFA and players’ union FIFPro, have also paid tribute. Portugal’s football federation says it will not allow his farewell to pass without a fitting celebration of his career.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-40-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 79-thousand-550-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-125-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 100-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….