News 17:00

BULLETIN 9 April 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Jacob Zuma gets the green light to be MK Party’s top candidate in the election

# Schools in all Western Cape education districts will be open tomorrow
# And, soccer: Pep Guardiola says Manchester City must impose their game on Madrid

# The Electoral Court has decided in former president Jacob Zuma’s favour against the IEC. He will now be the MK Party’s number one candidate in the election on 29 May.

# The Western Cape Education Department has announced that schools in all education districts will be open tomorrow, including Cape Winelands and Overberg districts. MEC David Maynier has also confirmed that 144 schools have reported damage from recent severe weather, ranging from minor issues to serious damage. Contractors are assessing and repairing damages. Maynier assured support for affected schools, prioritising safety amid challenges:

Meanwhile, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink advises residents to be extra cautious as heavy rainfall increases the risk of flooding. The plea follows after emergency teams rescued a female driver trapped on a flooded road in Centurion and an elderly resident was rescued from a flooded dwelling In Soshanguve. Motorists and pedestrians are urged to avoid flooded roads and bridges, use alternative routes, and prioritise their safety. Brink reminds residents to stay vigilant and report emergencies to the toll-free emergency services line.

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has commended the government for its efforts in rectifying past injustices. Speaking at a public lecture on South Africa’s democracy at the University of Johannesburg, Mashatile highlighted strides in education, employment, social cohesion, and economic empowerment. He stressed the importance of investing in national development and promoting economic transformation for South Africa’s progress: 

# Soccer: The Champions League quarterfinals gets underway this evening with two big games. Premier League leaders Arsenal will welcome Bayern Munich to London, while Manchester City will continue their title defence with a first leg stop in Spain to face Real Madrid. Manager Pep Guardiola says that City must impose their game on the home-side: 

#  The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-50-cents and the euro at 20-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-49-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-215-dollars-7-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-355-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-40-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Stellenbosch University has launched Africa’s first policy innovation laboratory in partnership with the Presidency, Germany, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The lab explores how data science and artificial intelligence tools can be deployed to address problems within the policymaking environment. Vice-chancellor Wim de Villiers has hailed the lab as a cutting-edge initiative that resonates with the university’s aspiration to conduct transdisciplinary research with societal impact.

Stay tuned for more news………….