News 07:00

BULLETIN 17 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The International Monetary Fund cuts South Africa’s growth outlook for 2024
# Tennis: Nadal makes a winning return from injury in Barcelona
# And Unisa awards an honorary doctorate to Esther Mahlangu

# The International Monetary Fund has cut South Africa’s economic growth outlook to 0.9-percent for the year. The fund published its 2024 World Economic Outlook yesterday. Projections for next year have also been reduced by 0.1 percentage points to 1.2-percent. IMF economic councillor, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, says in addition to low growth, South Africa will continue to battle inflation and high unemployment this year. Meanwhile, he says the baseline forecast is for the world economy to continue growing at 3.2-percent during this year and next year.

# The Freedom Front Plus has criticised the government’s mismanagement, attributing it to the widespread pollution of water sources. In his reply to a parliamentary question, Water and Sanitation minister, Senzo Mchunu disclosed that during 2022 and last year, 277 non-compliance notices were issued to 61 water service authorities nationwide after blue drop audits were conducted. The FF Plus’s Michal Groenewald says shockingly, 344 sewage treatment plants across 90 municipalities faced critical problems in 2022, with only 50-percent submitting recovery plans despite directives:

# KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs, Siboniso Duma, says they are engaging the national government over a disaster declaration. This comes after five people died following heavy rains and flooding in Margate. The MEC assessed the extent of the damage yesterday. Duma says although they have seen the restoration of water, electricity, and other essential services, a declaration of a disaster will help speed up the recovery processes:

# America’s FBI has started a criminal investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, while the body of another missing victim was found. Six construction workers died when the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after it was struck by a large container ship, MV Dali, late last month. Two of their colleagues survived. The FBI wants to ascertain which factors led to the ship apparently losing power and going off course before it hit the steel bridge spanning the harbour.

# Tennis: Twelve-time champion Rafael Nadal made a triumphant return from injury in the first round of the Barcelona Open. The Spaniard defeated Italian Flavio Cobolli, 6-2, 6-3, in his second tournament of the year and first since January. The 22-time Grand Slam champion will face fourth seed Alex De Minaur of Australia in the second round, continuing his preparation for the French Open. Nadal says he enjoyed playing again:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-2-cents and the euro at 20-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-844-dollars-92-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-384-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The University of South Africa has conferred an honorary doctorate of Philosophy in Mathematics to renowned Ndebele artist doctor Esther Mahlangu. She was honoured at a graduation ceremony at the university’s Muckleneuk Campus in Pretoria. A self-taught artist with no academic qualifications, Mahlangu is known for her bold large-scale contemporary paintings referencing her Ndebele heritage. Unisa says Mahlangu is a remarkable example of how art can transcend boundaries and connect people across cultures.

Stay tuned for more news………….