News 13:00

BULLETIN 12 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF’s secretary-general has been convicted for attacking a policeman at Parliament
# SASCO says the dissolution of the NSFAS board is a victory for students 
# And, rugby: English and French teams dominate the Champions Cup quarterfinals

# EFF secretary-general, Marshall Dlamini, has been convicted of assault and malicious damage to property for his involvement in an altercation with a policeman at Parliament. News24 reports the Cape Town Regional Court found him guilty of assaulting Johan Carstens during a scuffle following the state of the nation address in February 2019. He struck Carstens in the face, breaking his glasses. Dlamini’s claim of protecting party leader Julius Malema from an alleged assassination threat was dismissed by magistrate Nasha Banwari. Sentencing is scheduled for 31 May.

# The South African Students Congress says the dissolution of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Board and the resignation of its chairperson, Ernest Khoza, mark a significant victory for the general student population who relies on the scheme’s funding to pursue their education aspirations. The student organisation emphasised the urgent need for structural transformation at an administrative level within the scheme. SASCO’s spokesperson, Mangaliso Nompula, says the system is plagued by inefficiencies and bureaucratic hurdles that impede students’ access to financial assistance:

# German police have detained two teenage girls and a boy from the Duesseldorf region in the west of the country on suspicions they were planning an Islamist attack. Prosecutors say the trio, aged between 15 and 16, are suspected of planning an Islamist-motivated terror attack, including murder. Investigators did not provide further details on the alleged plot, saying the inquiry was still underway.

# Rugby: There are four English teams in the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup this weekend, as well as three French teams and one each from Ireland and South Africa. Bordeaux will host Harlequins, Leinster will welcome La Rochelle, Exeter Chiefs will be in France to face Toulouse and the Bulls are in England to take on Northampton Saints. Bulls’ director of rugby Jake White says it’s a tough task ahead for his team:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-75-cents and the euro at 20-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-45-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-633-dollars-92-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-394-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the decision by Britain’s Royal Navy to ditch the requirement that recruits must be able to swim, is described as a sign of true desperation. In the past, recruits had to pass a 30-minute swimming test. The Navy denies it is lowering its standards, saying it just means people who can’t swim or are weak swimmers will no longer be required to take lessons before signing up. Navy chiefs are reportedly under pressure to recruit more members after a serious drop in applications last year.

Stay tuned for more news………….