News 17:00

BULLETIN 12 April 5 pm

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A Norwegian diplomat deems South Africa pivotal for global peace
# A Correctional Services official is among 11 people arrested for illegal mining in Mpumalanga
# And, roadrunning: Gerda Steyn chases her fifth Two Oceans title in a row tomorrow

# Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul, currently in South Africa, deems the nation pivotal for global peace. She sees potential for South Africa to mediate in conflicts such as the ones between Russia and Ukraine, and Palestine and Israel. Juul criticised the United Nation’s Security Council’s paralysis, attributing it to failures in halting conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. She emphasises South Africa’s role in bridging diplomatic gaps and fostering peace amid international challenges:

# A Department of Correctional Services official and 10 other suspects allegedly involved in illegal mining were to appear in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga today. They were arrested yesterday after a farm owner reported trespassing and unauthorised mining on his property. Police conducted an operation and intercepted a suspicious vehicle, arresting the official and three others. Seven Zimbabwean nationals were caught red-handed digging on the farm. Police spokesperson Donald Mdhluli says the Department of Home Affairs will assist in verifying their immigration status.

# Stokvel savings have surged to an impressive 9.6-billion-rand, showcasing the resilience of members amid a tough financial climate. The 15-percent increase in net deposits reflects a commitment to fostering a savings culture in South Africa. FNB’s retail and cash investments CEO Himal Parbhoo attributes this growth to members’ financial discipline. The bank notes the evolving nature of stokvels, encouraging members to consider a range of investment vehicles for sustained growth and financial security.

# Roadrunning: Gerda Steyn is chasing her fifth Two Oceans title in a row tomorrow. She will join about 11-thousand athletes in the ultra marathon over 56-kilometres in the Cape Peninsula, while another 16-thousand people will start the half-marathon over 21-kilometres on Sunday. Steyn set the record of three-hours-29-minutes-and-6 seconds last year. She will use the race as preparation for the Paris Olympics later this year after setting records in the Vaal Marathon and the Om-die-Dam race over 50-kilometres recently.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-86-cents and the euro at 20-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-49-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-429-dollars-59-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-396-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

# And, South African National Parks has announced the reopening of the Ebb and Flow Rest camp in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route national park in the Western Cape. This comes after the camp was temporarily closed due to flooding. Accommodation facilities remain unaffected, and bookings can be made on the SANParks website. SANParks’ JP Louw says while the Tsitsikamma and Knysna sections of the park are open, several hiking trails and activities in the wilderness section remain closed:

Stay tuned for more news………….