News 16:00

BULLETIN 9 April 4 pm 

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mashatile assures the end of load-shedding this year
# The DA says the ANC’s incompetence endangers lives and disrupts education amid the water crisis
# And, AgriSA’s Disaster Relief Foundation joins forces to combat food waste

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has reassured South Africans that load-shedding will end this year. Speaking at a public lecture at the University of Johannesburg, Mashatile said that strategic processes are in place to end load-shedding. He also credited strategic efforts by Electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and his team. He however cautioned that despite progress, only maintenance and new power station projects will continue to ensure a stable energy supply:

# The Western Cape Government says it’s closely monitoring the severe weather situation in the province. Heavy rainfall and rising water levels in the Garden Route district are causing concerns about potential flooding downstream. Dams are rapidly filling up, especially those on the coast, and a level four warning for disruptive rain remains in place for eastern parts of the province. Premier Alan Winde says the government is coordinating relief efforts to minimise the impact on communities:

# The DA says South Africa’s water issues are impacting education, with multiple areas failing to provide sufficient water. According to the party, the JB Marks local municipality’s infrastructure problems led to a week of cancelled classes at North West University. They applauded the university’s efforts to continue online classes and provide water, but urged an urgent national debate on the water crisis. The DA’s Solly Malatsi criticises ANC-led municipalities for service failures and encourages students to vote for change on 29 May:

# AgriSA’s Disaster Relief Foundation says South Africa faces a food waste crisis. The country discards nine-billion kilogrammes of food annually, costing 61.5-billion-rand and exacerbating food insecurity. Fruits and vegetables contribute significantly to this waste, with one in five imperfect produce items ending up in landfills. Despite these challenges, initiatives like OneFarm Share are redistributing misfit produce, providing over 19.6-million kilogrammes of fresh produce and 86-million meals. AgriSA has partnered with AVBOB, McCain, and OneFarm Share, in leading efforts to combat food waste and promote sustainable consumption practices.

# Cricket: New Zealand and England will face off in three Tests at the end of the year. New Zealand Cricket says they hope to attract big crowds for the series, the same as when Australia visited earlier this year. CEO Scott Weening says up to then, ticket sales didn’t reflect talks of the popularity of Test cricket in the country. The first Test will start in Christchurch on 28 November, followed by the second in Wellington from 6 December and the third in Hamilton from the 14th.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-45-cents and the euro at 20-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-43-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-904-dollars-2-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-350-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….