News 09:00

BULLETIN 7 April 9 am

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Government launches the first leg of the UIF-Labour Activation Programme in Johannesburg
# Educators’ tragic deaths raise concerns in the Gauteng Education Department
# And, rugby: The Cheetahs and the Lions are out of the Challenge Cup

# The government has initiated the first rollout of 55 UIF-Labour Activation Programmes in NASREC, Johannesburg. Part of a 23.8-billion-rand national campaign, announced by Labour minister Thulas Nxesi, aims to create over 700-thousand job opportunities nationwide. Unemployment Insurance Fund commissioner Teboho Maruping states the programme offers opportunities lasting between 12 and 36 months, with investments recouped through UIF contributions and revenue generated from investments:

# Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane expressed deep concern over the deaths of two educators on the same day in separate shootings. The department’s spokesperson Steve Mabona says, one incident involved a Life Orientation educator fatally shot while driving to Riverside High School. In the second incident, the departmental head of Commerce at Unity Secondary School was fatally shot in Daveyton. Mabona confirmed that members of the Psycho-Social Support Unit will be deployed to both schools tomorrow:

# The High Court in Durban has sentenced Analidia Dias Bella Dosantos to life imprisonment and Charmaine Khumalo to 18 years in prison for the murder of Dosantos’ husband, Mark Buttle, in February 2018. NPA KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says the two women planned to kill Buttle for his life insurance policies where Dosantos was the beneficiary. Dosantos lured Buttle to the Newlands East area under the pretence of them rekindling their marriage and stabbed him 53 times:

# A US official has confirmed the country is on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran, targeting Israeli or American assets in the region, in response to Israel’s strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria. The official told CNN they are definitely at a high state of vigilance, and that an attack could come in the next week. Suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran’s embassy in Damascus on Monday in a strike that killed an Iranian military commander. Iran has said it reserves the right to a decisive response.

# And, rugby: A late fight-back from the Cheetahs fell just short as they were dumped out of the Challenge Cup by French side Clermont 27-22, in their last-16 clash at the Stade Marcel Michelin yesterday. It was possibly the final game for retiring former Springbok star Ruan Pienaar, who made a crucial late error that cost his side a chance of winning the match. In Treviso, Italy, the Lions also bowed out of the Challenge Cup last night, with a 17-27 defeat to Benetton.

Stay tuned for more news………….