News 07:00

BULLETIN 23 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA criticises Mapisa-Nqakula’s request for legal aid
# Scopa welcomes the ruling against the Road Accident Fund
# And prosecutors say Trump’s hush-money payment was pure election fraud

# ActionSA says it strongly objects to former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s attempts to have the Department of Defence and Military Veterans bear the costs of her upcoming corruption trial. She faces 12 charges of corruption and money laundering related to tenders at the Defence Department. ActionSA’s, Mohammed Rafeek Shah, says Mapisa-Nqakula’s claim that since the alleged crime was committed during her tenure as the minister of Defence, in some way entitles her to receive funding, is simply ridiculous:

# The South African Federation of Trade Unions has expressed outrage over the Department of Basic Education’s failure to fill 31-thousand vacant posts nationwide, citing mismanagement and austerity policies. Spokesperson Trevor Shaku says the unfilled positions exacerbate educators’ workloads, leading to burnout and compromised education outcomes. Shaku emphasised the dire consequences of overcrowded classrooms on educators and learners. He expressed the union’s criticism of government’s lack of prioritising public service delivery:

# Parliament’s standing committee on Public Accounts has welcomed the court ruling on the Road Accident Fund’s case against the Auditor-General of South Africa. The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed the fund’s bid to change the accounting standard used to compile its annual financial statements. The accounting change slashed the fund’s liabilities by 90-percent, from 331-billion-rand in 2019/2020 to 34-billion-rand in 2021/2022. Scopa says the fund’s board and executives must be held personally liable for the legal costs of this case.  

# A defence lawyer in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial wants to subpoena several prominent figures including Orlando Pirates chairperson Irvin Khoza. Five men stand accused of killing the Bafana Bafana captain at the home of his then-girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus in 2014. Advocate Thulani Mngomezulu says Meyiwa’s brother, Sifiso, claims Khoza told him the truth about what happened to his brother. He says he wants Khumalo to take the witness stand.

# Prosecutors say former US president Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal case is about criminal conspiracy and fraud. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, allegedly to cover up a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, before the 2016 election. His trial got underway in New York yesterday. In his opening statement, prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, said what Trump did was pure election fraud. The defence argued that the former president was not involved and was unaware of the specifics of the hush-money payments.

# Golf: World number one Scottie Scheffler continued his winning streak by claiming the RBC Heritage in South Carolina, his fourth PGA Tour victory in five starts. The American carded a three-under-par 68 in the final round to finish on 19 under and win by three shots from compatriot Sahith Theegala. He becomes the first player to follow a Masters win with victory at the RBC Heritage since Germany’s Bernhard Langer in 1985. Scheffler says he is not surprised by how good he is playing:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-19-cents and the euro at 20-rand-46-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-71-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-871-dollars-2-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-310-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….