April 30, 2024.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Trent Roebeck.

Making headlines:

Michael Sachs notes accelerating decline of electoral support for ANC

Petrol price increase, diesel price decrease for May

And, Israel waiting on Hamas on proposed halt to fighting before sending team to Cairo

Michael Sachs notes accelerating decline of electoral support for ANC

Former Treasury budget office chief Michael Sachs highlighted that the decline in national electoral turnout in favour of the African National Congress has been accelerating since 2004.

Polls have predicted that the ANC will fall below 50% in electoral support in the upcoming May 29 general election.

He highlighted that the combination of significant threats to the ANC’s KZN base and declining effective turnout in the rest of the country could be fatal for the ANC’s majority.

If the ANC’s support in KZN fell back to pre-Zuma levels, it would have 750 000 fewer votes in that province, a major blow to the ANC nationally, Sachs stated.

He noted that the ANC’s support as a share of registered votes or as a share of the eligible population had fallen even faster.

Petrol price increase, diesel price decrease for May

The price of petrol, both 93 and 95, will increase by 37c/ℓ on Wednesday, while diesel prices will decrease by 30c/ℓ and 36c/ℓ for 0.05% sulphur and 0.005% sulphur, respectively.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy says there is a lot of volatility in the market owing to growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and sustained production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries-plus countries.

The prices of diesel, illuminating paraffin and liquefied petroleum gas decreased owing to seasonal changes and reduced demand in the northern hemisphere as it moves away from its winter season, the department says.

Illuminating paraffin prices will decrease by 19c/ℓ and LPG prices by 46c/kg from May 1.

Israel waiting on Hamas on proposed halt to fighting before sending team to Cairo

Israel is waiting for Hamas to respond to proposals for a halt to the fighting in Gaza and a return of Israeli hostages before sending a team to Cairo to continue talks, a person close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today.

With US Secretary of State Antony Blinken due to arrive in Tel Aviv this evening following a visit to Riyadh to help broker a normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, pressure has been building for an agreement to stop the war as it nears the end of its seventh month.

Expectations that an agreement could be in sight have grown in recent days following a renewed push led by Egypt to revive stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

But so far, there has been little sign of agreement on the most fundamental difference between the two sides, the Hamas demand that any deal must ensure a withdrawal of troops and a permanent end to the Israeli operation in Gaza.

The Israeli campaign, launched after Hamas-led gunmen rampaged through communities around Gaza, killing some 1 200 Israelis and foreigners and taking 253 into captivity, has so far killed more than 34 000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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