News 09:00

BULLETIN 3 April 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Public Servants Association urges the government to look after its citizens amidst price hikes
# Minister Cele vows justice will be served in the Fort Hare University cases
# And swimming: Adam Peaty qualifies for the Paris Olympics

# The Public Servants Association says recent increases in fuel and electricity prices will deepen financial troubles for public servants and all South Africans. The PSA criticises the government’s 4.7-percent salary increase for public servants, stating it falls short of addressing the rising cost of living. They demand accountability from the government and stand ready to engage in constructive dialogue to find solutions. The association’s Claude Naiker urges the government to reconsider these price increases and prioritise the well-being of citizens:

# Months of work to appoint a deputy Public Protector have gone down the drain thanks to ousted Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, now an EFF MP. She failed to declare her relationship with two of the shortlisted candidates, Shadrack Tebeila and Ponatshego Mogaladi. Tebeila is currently representing Mkhwebane pro bono in her continued challenge of the impeachment proceedings against her. The process to appoint a deputy Public Protector will now have to be restarted after MPs serving on the portfolio committee on Justice decided to scrap the interview work they started with.

# Police minister Bheki Cele says it is disturbing that some of the individuals arrested at Fort Hare University were entrusted with ensuring the viability of the institution. Twenty-four suspects have been arrested for their respective roles in fraud, corruption, and kidnapping cases, including murder and attempted murder charges relating to two assassinations and attempted assassinations at the university since 2022. Fifteen suspects appeared at the Dimbaza Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape yesterday. Cele says the long arm of the law will never be selective nor will it be kind.

# United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has condemned the killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. The seven victims, who were working for World Central Kitchen, were killed when their convoy was attacked from the air by an Israeli drone. Three of the killed aid workers were British nationals. A Polish national, an Australian, a Palestinian, and a dual US-Canadian citizen were also killed. Guterres says this attack is unconscionable, but it is an inevitable result of the way the war is being conducted.

# Swimming: Three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty has secured his place at the Paris Olympics after winning the 100-metre breaststroke at the British Championships in London. The 29-year-old touched the wall in 57.94 seconds, his quickest time since he defended his Olympic title in 2021. Peaty, who is continuing a comeback after taking time out to look after his mental health, says he is finding peace in the water now instead of anger and frustration:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-78-cents and the euro at 20-rand-24-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-328-dollars-77-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-285-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-98-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….