News 12:00

BULLETIN 23 April 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cosatu urges minister Nxesi to expedite plans to overhaul the Unemployment Insurance Fund
# The Institute of Race Relations urges president Ramaphosa not to sign the Expropriation Bill into law 
# And rugby: Ireland will face New Zealand in the November series opener 

# Cosatu says minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, must expedite plans to overhaul the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Last week, the High Court in Pretoria set aside the controversial five-billion-rand contract awarded by the UIF to Thuja Capital, declaring it invalid. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says Nxesi’s appointment of a forensic audit to look into this scurrilous failed deal is very much welcomed:

# The Institute of Race Relations says it is encouraged that president Cyril Ramaphosa will consider its objections to the Expropriation Bill. The bill, which was recently passed in Parliament, allows for expropriation for public purposes in the public interest. The institute’s campaign manager, Makone Maja, says they believe the bill is unconstitutional and it was rushed through Parliament and hastily sent to Ramaphosa for signing: 

# The UDM is concerned that service delivery is only made a national focus during election times, where it is partnered with elaborate empty promises. The party says the lack of services in areas including the Motsoaledi and Nomzamo informal settlements in Soweto and Mahikeng, North West, respectively, is appalling. UDM’s general secretary, Yongama Zigede, says in Nomzamo necessities such as water and electricity are luxuries:

# Rugby: Ireland will look to build on their back-to-back Six Nations crowns when they take on New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji, and Australia in their Autumn Nations Series in November. The opener in Dublin will be against the All Blacks, who knocked the Irish out of the World Cup in the quarterfinals last year. The series will be Andy Farrell’s last as Ireland’s head coach before he takes a hiatus to oversee the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2025. Farrell says it promises to be a series to remember.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-20-cents and the euro at 20-rand-50-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-143-dollars-11-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-31-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The L’Oréal Foundation has launched the sixth edition of the Women in Science Young Talent Search in South Africa. This is an initiative between the foundation and the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO. Since it first started, the programme has awarded grants worth more than three-million-rand to 32 outstanding female researchers, providing financial support for leading-edge research. Female researchers under the age of 40 are eligible to apply. Applications close on the 19th of next month.

Stay tuned for more news………….