News 08:00

BULLETIN 28 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the government will continue to work tirelessly to honour Madiba
# Julius Malema says freedom is only for a few people associated with the ANC
# And, rugby: Big URC wins for the Stormers and the Bulls

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says in memory of late former president Nelson Mandela, government will continue to work tirelessly to achieve the democratic ideals to which he and many others dedicated their lives. Ramaphosa spoke at the commemoration of Freedom Day at the Union Buildings. He says few days in the life of the nation can compare to that day in 1994, when freedom was born and South Africa changed forever:

# EFF president Julius Malema says over the past 30 years, there has been freedom only for a few individuals associated with the ruling party. Malema led the party’s Freedom Day commemorations in Meadowlands, Soweto. He says many people continue to suffer under the ANC. There is no freedom for the millions of people who are evicted from farms, exploited in the workplace, or are unemployed:

# The East London Regional Court has postponed the corruption case against former senior government official Neil Naidoo, and businessmen Kenny Govender and Matthew Pillay, to September for trial. The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, says they face several corruption charges and one of defeating the ends of justice, following an alleged attempt to bribe two investigating officers with 3.5-million-rand:

# Rugby: After successive home losses in the United Rugby Championships, the Stormers got back on track in Cape Town last night with a bonus-point 42-12 victory over Leinster. The Stormers are now fifth on the log. At Loftus, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie each scored a brace of tries for the Bulls against Ospreys. The 61-24 bonus-point win moved the Bulls to third on the log. And, at Ellis Park, URC defending champions Munster overpowered the Lions 33-13 and dented the home team’s playoff chase.

# And, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, global wine production plummeted by ten-percent last year, the largest drop in 62 years. Australia and Italy saw the worst declines, with drops of 26-percent and 23-percent respectively. Spain also suffered, losing over a fifth of its production. Despite a four-percent increase in France, overall consumption declined, driven by factors like inflation and decreased demand in China. As climate change continues to pose a significant threat, the future of wine production remains uncertain.

Stay tuned for more news………….